


Prisoners

by megamatt09



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Smallville
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-04-17
Updated: 2013-06-11
Packaged: 2017-12-08 19:23:12
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 11
Words: 58,785
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/765091
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/megamatt09/pseuds/megamatt09
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Smallville/Harry Potter crossover. When Kara was trapped in the Phantom Zone by Brainiac, she runs into another prisoner that was sent there. Together, they try and stay alive and perhaps find something more. Harry/Kara.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Kara flew back head over heals before she landed onto the ground with a thud that rattled the ground underneath her. Her chest raised and lowered when she looked up into the air and saw where she was. And it took a moment for her mind to reconcile where she was. The full gravity of her situation weighed upon Kara when she went over what occurred in her mind.

She was on Krypton, with Clark, that being Kal-El, her cousin, and they fought the menace known as Brainiac who went back in time to kill Kal-El before his ship launched to Earth. Kal-El managed to get his past self on the ship and Kara thought that she got Brainiac, she stopped him once for all.

Fuzziness, that was not a good sign, especially where Kara was.

Then Brainiac stabbed her with something, when he feigned being destroyed, Kara grudgingly admitted that machine was highly adaptable and pulled what humans might call "a fast one" on her. Then, she felt him use the crystal, to trap her into the Phantom Zone where she stood right now. Fully understanding her predicament, Kara scrambled, knowing that she had to move quickly.

Where Kara stood, which meant as far as Clark knew, Brainiac was there...he could shape shift. The full gravity of this situation smacked Kara in the face faster than a speeding bullet.

Brainiac was back on Earth, wearing her face, living her life, and she never left Krypton, she never returned back to Earth, back to the Present. Clark could be in danger but with no way out that did not endanger people, Kara could not find a way to return to help him.

Kara recalled everything that her father told her. There were three rules about the Phantom Zone that Zor-El drilled into her head.

The first rule was that no matter what she thinks, time and space were not relative to anything that went on outside of the Phantom Zone. Should Kara find the way out of the Zone, if she did not time the jump properly, she could end up fifty years in the past or fifty years in the future, from the present time. The space time continuum did not matter in here, every single law in physics smashed into pieces here.

The second rule was that never feed a Phantom, that was never tempt it with anything that would draw attention to you. Kara felt the need to put her head down immediately, knowing that being a member of the House of El, she was likely going to be a delicacy for the Phantoms in this prison. Her heart thumped against her chest but she tried to stifle that motion. They could sense fear and Kara needed to be strong if she hoped to last any amount of time in here.

The third rule was that Survival of the Fittest reigned supreme in the Phantom Zone, those who were strong, survived, and those who were week, perished.

Kara stopped and saw the skeletal remains beneath her feet that proved that point and shivers coursed through her body, a knot turning in her stomach but she pressed forward in the Phantom Zone.

She kept moving, if she stopped for almost a second, she would be dead. Something would grab her and that would be the end, Kara hated being helpless but she could not deny the full problems.

Kara realized that her powers were completely gone, there was no yellow sun in here to energize her. The solar battery within her was empty.

Footsteps once again, that was not good, that was never good.

Foosteps in the Phantom Zone were never a good thing, that was another thing that Zor-El reminded her.

The wraiths were bad enough but there were a few prisoners who ended up here that were corporeal. They had their full body and whilst the Phantoms would not let up on an attack, neither would the able bodied prisoners. Most who had been sent here ended up going mad.

Kara rubbed her eyes, she braced herself for a battle. Her body grew rigid when she caught sight of the person who surrounded her.

A dark haired figure moved around her, dressed in ragged robes, with green eyes. Kara caught a hint of a marking on his head, maybe like a bolt of lightning. She could not really tell what was on his forehead or any distinguishing features when she moved around to make sure she was ready to attack it when it pounced.

He moved around her, circling her and Kara decided to attack before she got attacked. She rushed forward and grabbed the figure by the arm, she was barely in the Phantom Zone for an hour and already had adopted an attack first, ask questions later policy.

Kara brought her would be attacker down to the ground, using his leverage against him and slamming him down against the dirt in the Zone. The whispers and laughs of the Phantoms filled Kara's ears and chilled her to the bones.

A pair of green eyes looked up at her as she stood on his chest and he seemed surprised when he looked at her.

"Wait, you're not one of them?"

Kara paused, the fact that it spoke to her was a surprise and she planted her foot onto the chest of her pursuer. She did not let up on her attack not even for a minute when distrustful intentions flickered through her eyes and she looked down at the person who tried to attack her. Or rather she attacked him, not that it mattered in the Phantom Zone. The important thing was that she got the first attack out.

"I thought you had been one of those things, you came out of nowhere...could you please let me up?"

Kara did not ease up, rather she pressed down on him.

"Would it help to say that I came in peace?"

This statement did not improve Kara's mind, when she stared at him with fury and determination, suspicious about his intentions.

"What are you doing sneaking around like that?" Kara asked to the young man when she allowed him a little room to breath, but only enough where he could answer her questions.

"The same thing I think you were doing I gather, making sure that none of these things sees me as a free meal or their gateway out of here," the young man answered when he pulled himself up and looked at her before he shook his head. "Of course, I don't know where here is."

Kara found that hard to believe but she got a good look at this young man, he was disheveled a little bit and obviously in need of a long warm shower but rather good looking all things considered and he did have a dazzling pair of green eyes that stared back at her with the type of intensity that Kara felt endearing. She tried not to let herself get distracted, that was another rule in the Phantom Zone, don't get distracted.

Come to think of it, there were more than three rules of the Phantom Zone.

"You're in the Phantom Zone," Kara answered to him, finally finding her voice and he looked confused so Kara elaborated. "It's a dimension where some of the worst criminals in the universe are sent to pay for their crimes."

The young man offered her a smile. "And what are you in for, being so beautiful that it's a crime?"

Kara flushed slightly but she was going to pretend that she didn't hear that statement.

"I don't belong here!"

The young man winked at her. "Sure, that's what they all say."

Kara felt herself lose her patience but she closed her eyes and took a few calming breaths. It was obvious that he was having a laugh at her amusement, likely in a way to keeping herself sane.

"I was trying to help my cousin fight a powerful supercomputer, but he injected me with something and I woke up here," Kara answered before she stopped, realizing how stupid that sounded in her head. She shook her head off as the young man stepped forward.

"Call me crazy, but I believe you," the young man responded when the two stared at each other, vibrant green eyes met bright blue when the two took a moment to get a good look at the other.

The staring would have to await and there was a humming.

"They're coming," the young man whispered when he reached forward and took Kara's hand before she lead her off.

"The Phantoms, I know about them," Kara protested but she did not let go of his hand, even if they found cover.

The young man watched and waited for them to leave and Kara remained holding to his hand, before she realized and slowly, with dignity, she let go.

"Phantoms, yes, but they're the least of our problems. I'm thinking that my people used this place as a dumping ground for things that they wanted to get rid of."

Kara's interest raised at this statement from this young man, who seemed like an enigma to her as she no doubt did to him. There were many questions that Kara wanted answered and the first, along with the most obvious question, spat form her mouth.

"What do you mean a dumping ground for your kind?"

"My kind, magic users, witches and wizards, I come from an entire hidden world of them," the young man answered before Kara looked at him with a quizzical expression which the young man smiled back at her, while listening for potential attackers. "Yeah, I know, you don't believe that."

Kara decided to throw his own words back at him from earlier and smiled at him before she responded. "Call me crazy, but I believe you."

She was an alien who came from another planet and after some of the things she heard about in the universe and saw with her own two eyes, why would she not believe him? It would seem unfair if she decided to discount his explanation based on some preconceived notion of what was logical. The illogical can become very likely, that was one point Kara would think about more often than not.

"What did you do to get put here in the first place?"

The young man turned around before he sighed and Kara could tell that he was remembering something very difficult to him.

"You don't belong here either," Kara responded in a soft voice.

This young prisoner looked at Kara before he offered a smile. "My own guilt...as strong as it might be, does not indicate that I committed any crimes of any kind. Of course, trying to tell them that, it's going to be like beating a head against a brick wall."

Kara now was more interested in this young man than ever before and she looked back at him, trying to piece together the puzzle that he was. She wanted to stick by him, if nothing else but to learn more about his story and how he came to be in the Phantom Zone.

"You said that your people used the Phantom Zone as a dumping ground for something."

The prisoner turned to Kara and craned his neck to listen for something. Kara felt a slight chill overwhelm her body and the young man grabbed her by the hand once again.

"We have to keep moving."

Kara felt herself grow impatient, as his eyes darted around. "Could you please tell me what in the name of Rao is going on here?"

"I'll tell you when I get us away from them, trust me, they'll feed on your bad memories."

Kara's eyes narrowed when she looked at this young man before she gave him her most dangerous look, she wanted to know what was happening. If she was in the Phantom Zone, and she was in danger, should she not have a right to know what was going on? She stood on her feet, rigid and unmoving before her eyes darted and dodged around, she heard the echoes of something in her ears.

It was Krypton dying around here, when her father shoved her onto that ship but how could that be? She went catatonic before the young man grabbed her hand and squeezed it hard, which jolted Kara out of her thoughts.

"You hear that, something's happening, they're breeding."

Kara's heart thumped against her chest, anything breeding in the Phantom Zone was a logical cause for panic was far as she was concerned. She took a moment to look at the young man before her, wanting to know what was going on.

"What's happening? WHAT'S BREEDING?"

The young prisoner took a moment before Kara's eyes widened and she saw the creatures, there were horrific, faceless monsters. She thought that they were the Phantoms but they were worse than the Phantoms. They sucked all the life out of everything that was around them and Kara felt her skin grow frigid and clammy.

"Behind me!"

The young man shielded Kara with all of his worth, before he summoned all of the power and sent what appeared to be a glowing creature that resembled a stag from his hand to stampede the monster. The monster was driven off for a moment and the young man staggered a little bit.

"Sorry that spells draining even with a wand," the young man stated in an apologetic voice when he turned to Kara. "Are you alright?"

"Fine," Kara managed when she gazed intently at him. "What about you?"

The young man waved off her question when his knees buckled and he rocked back and forth on his feet, trying to stand up on his own two feet.

"Yeah, I'm fine, there's a reason why they don't recommend you do magic without a wand but the things you have to learn when your life is in danger, huh?"

He seemed to shake off his cobwebs and seemed far more rattled but then again he was in the Phantom Zone. The two of them moved quickly, both knowing that by instinct that once one Phantom picked them up, the others would not be far behind. Even though that thing was not technically a Phantom, the same rules and principles still applied. And the danger increased.

"We should be safe for a few minutes."

Kara thought that was more than they could hope for given the circumstances that they found themselves in and the blonde shook her head. She sank down on her knees and backed off to see the broken bones, the busted skull, and all of the other remains of something that was ripped apart by one of the Phantoms or maybe even something worse.

"How long have you been here?" Kara asked the young man.

"Oh, I stopped counting ages ago, too busy running for my life."

Kara's face contorted into sheepish smile but she got the sense that this young man was running in the Phantom Zone for years, decades even, it was hard to tell.

"I've made all kinds of new friends in here, shame they all want to kill me. Of course for me, it's a another Wednesday."

Kara looked at him in disbelief before she offered one question. "Do you...do you...do you always joke this casually about your death?"

The young man snickered before he looked at Kara with a smile that sent her heart aflutter.

"I've learned that if I take my death too seriously, I won't live a very productive life," the green eyed prisoner said when he shrugged his shoulders and turned to face Kara properly. "We've got to find a way to get you out of here, if you don't belong."

Kara knew of the way out of there, but obviously she was not touching it. Her father left the gateway but that was something she knew would open a Pandora's box that she would not have on her conscience. Not after what happened with Kal-El, she could not risk any of the prisoners getting out and infecting people on Earth or anywhere else in the universe.

"What about you, I assumed you didn't belong either?" Kara asked him when she looked at him, a quizzical expression flashing through her blue eyes.

"Oh, me, I fit in well with all of the freaks and misfits and criminals."

"You don't seem the type," Kara responded when she looked at him.

"Really, I would have thought you would have pegged me as a criminal by now?"

Kara stared at him in confusion and bewilderment before she launched forward to ask for clarification of this line of inquiry. "Why?"

"Because I've stolen your heart, obviously," the young man joked at her, with a bright smile.

Kara shook her head, he had been in here for a very long time it seemed, although she found his antics to be a bit more amusing than she would have normally. If nothing else, it was a way to keep her sanity while trapped in the Phantom Zone. She cleared her throat when she looked at him.

"Why did you get here anyway?" Kara asked, steering the subject back to its intended purposes.

"Now, beautiful, I can't tell you my entire life story," the young man stated with a roguish grin when he stared down Kara. "Not until I know your name, I can't keep calling you beautiful, no matter how accurate it is, now can I?"

Kara took a moment to stare at him through narrowed eyes before she breathed in and told him. "Kara."

The young man smiled. "Pretty name, fitting a pretty girl."

Kara rolled her eyes before she commented in a droll and sarcastic tone of voice.

"You're quite the charmer...um, now that would be the perfect open to tell me yours."

The young man responded with a grin on his face. "Harry."


	2. Kneel Before Zed

_Most of everything before the battle of the Department of Mysteries is canon, a lot after has changed.  
_

**Chapter One: Kneel Before Zed.**

Now that introductions were out of the way, Harry and Kara stared each other down in the Phantom Zone, both of them getting a feel for each other. The two trapped prisoners stood face to face with each other, a moment passed before the blonde prisoner blinked and stared back at the young wizard. One burning question flowed through her mind.

"So, how did you get here?"

Harry's expression twisted in slight instant of pain, it was brief, subtle, but one the dark haired wizard showed on his face. And one the blonde Kryptonian noticed when she face off against him, she had a good idea with detail with things like this despite his face now being the mask of stoicness. The young woman surveyed him and could tell that there was so much in his mind, in his eyes, more than she could ever even understand.

"It's….well I don't think that I should say it's a long story. Because we're not pressed for time here."

Kara shook her head before she explained the situation to the mage, carefully and concisely. "The Phantom Zone is timeless….but I think that you've already figure that out as long as you've been here."

"Yeah, I found that out where I got here," Harry answered in a crisp voice when he thought about his entire time in the Phantom Zone or so it was called.

So much time he passed, much longer than he was even alive from the moment he arrived here to the moment where Kara popped in there. A long time passed, more days then Harry ever bothered to count. The moment he dropped into this place, he kept track of the days, wondering if there was a way out of here.

Then again, there was no way out, that's what he was certain of. Not that there was any lack of trying for him No matter what, he kept looking around for a way out but there was no escape out of this Phantom Zone. Harry thought he was going to die here but his inherent stubbornness made him refuse to go down without a fight.

It was survival of the fittest and in many ways, his entire life prepared himself for the horrific prison that was this realm. Kara's curiosity bubbled through her eyes and he cleared his throat, along with his head before the Boy-Who-Lived-To-Be-Exiled-To-The-Phantom-Zone spoke.

"I suppose I better tell you," Harry started when he closed his eyes and clasped his hands together, before Kara stepped forward to give him an encouraging gaze. That gave Harry the inspiration to speak. "I suppose this entire mess all started from about a year before I was born. To make a long story short there was a prophecy about a savior that was going to defeat an extremely dangerous dark wizard who plagued my former world for years. He killed many, ruined countless lives but there was something special in me that stopped him."

Kara nodded before she invited Harry to continue.

"Of course, he wasn't stopped, he returned when I was fourteen years old and for three more years, we went back and forth with each other," Harry continued when he leaned forward. "He had powers that no magic user ever thought they could have, bringing his power to unprecedented heights. After that night of the Department of Mysteries, when my godfather died, it gave me the inspiration to step up my training. He was sent through the veil."

The blonde moved with a start, he talked about this veil and she thought she should know of it. It hit her immediately after a few seconds of hard thought and concentration. The veil was a primitive portal to the Phantom Zone that was thrown out generations and lost in the vastness of space. Apparently it drifted in space before someone on Earth found it, who knows what havoc it caused.

"It was a curious artifact in the Department of Mysteries," Harry explained but Kara gave a weak smile.

"It was one of our artifacts that was lost, your people must have found it," Kara answered, stroking her chin thoughtfully and looking over her shoulder. She swore she heard something but there was nothing behind her.

"I found out for years the Ministry pushed some of our worst through the veil, it was a means to judge them," Harry stated when he looked at the blonde before him before he relayed what he learned about the veil and the Ministry's use. "It was their theory, their belief, that everyone who passed through would be judged as innocent or guilty."

"Imagine that," Kara stated, unable to resist and Harry realized what she said and Harry shook his head.

"You know what I meant," Harry answered her turning around and reigning in his thoughts. "It was supposed to strip anyone who passed through of their powers and their body, and if they were innocent of the crimes, well they'd be sent on. If they were guilty, well they'd be trapped here in this horrific place forever."

The more Harry thought about that, the more he realized that there was a certain amount of abject stupidity regarding his Ministry.

"I've heard whispers from the Wraiths, encountered a couple that were sent through the veil, a practice they reinstated after the fall of the Dark Lord I talked about, the second time, for real," Harry added to Kara, keeping a stoic expression on his face when he looked at her. "Those who were unable to pay off the Ministry were sent through the veil, for their crimes. Many of them were allowed to do crimes on the behalf of the Ministry and others scapegoats while some of the biggest offenders walked free when the Ministry officials patted the new found bulge in their pockets."

Harry's bitterness seemed obvious through his tone but he shook his head and got back to the matter at hand.

"I do admit regretting what I did during my sixth year on, but after what happened in the Department of Mysteries, I had no choice," Harry added when his green eyes locked onto her blue eyes. "I had to walk alone, but my two best friends, well one of them suffered injuries that she died of shortly before my sixth year. I defied the old man for the first time ever and stayed by her bedside to the moment she died to make her last few minutes happy. My other best friend, the brains drove himself and he perished. As for everyone else, well I was friendly with people, but….I distanced myself from all of them."

His voice broke a little bit, shaking even for a brief instant. Kara watched Harry with a sad expression in her eyes and saw that he been through that much. Despite he would not say it or admit everything that he was.

"After my parents died, you thought I would learn the lesson about getting attached to people, but I tried to forge some semblance of a life," Harry added when he turned around to hide the bitter regret in his eyes, before facing Kara with determination in his eyes. "It was for the best given the fact that I started to change upon my eighteenth birthday, shortly before the Ministry decided that I was a threat to their world and may have been driven insane by the connection that I had to Lord Voldemort, which was severed and no longer posed a problem, I was checked out by a certified Healer but then the Ministry got their crack team of healers involved and it was all over, they thought me to be insane."

"They judged you from the beginning, they wanted you out of the way," Kara concluded and Harry nodded.

"Right in one, beautiful," Harry responded when he gave her a bright smile that caused a few butterflies to appear in her stomach. "The fact that I had immense resources the Ministry wanted, that played a large part. They all knew as well that I would not pretend that everything was okay. I wouldn't pretend that people weren't getting killed for being different, magical creatures weren't being discriminated against, the Ministry was not being corrupted despite all I fought for. I would never ignore that, ever."

Harry briefly recalled the trial, a farce, which there was character testimony given by such reliable witnesses like Draco Malfoy and Pansy Parkinson, who obviously knew him well as a friend. Others like Susan Bones tried to speak on Harry's behalf, but she was silenced. The niece of the former head of the Department of Mysteries accused of treason because she showed one of the virtues of her house, loyalty.

"They knew what was happening to me, Snape and Dumbledore knew, they had a sample of my blood that they swiped from the Hospital Wing during one of my trips," Harry mused, naturally Kara did not know who these people were. "Since my second year, they knew that the change was going to come. Dumbledore faked his death during my sixth year and Snape during my seventh year, naturally to lure Voldemort into a false sense of security. And also…."

Harry stopped before he collected more thoughts and stopped himself short going on a ramp.

"It's over, it doesn't matter," Harry responded when he turned around, abruptly cutting off everything that he wanted to rant about, even if there was a mostly sympathetic ear here.

"It's not over as long as you're alive," Kara answered when she grabbed Harry firmly around the arm. "What was it about this change?"

Harry would be lying if he did not think about this for a long time, mulling over everything as it happened for years but he came up with a conclusion.

"In my second year, I fought a Basilisk, that's a giant snake that can petrify with a stare, in the Chamber of Secrets," Harry told Kara and she nodded in understand, her feet implanted into the sand of the Phantom Zone. "It sank its fang into my arms and infected me with its venom. A Phoenix, Fawkes, saved me, crying in my wound. Now the two substances combined, well they can lead to some interesting results, especially with my genetic makeup."

Kara invited Harry to continue and he took the invitation.

"To make a long story short, my mother found and performed an obscure charm where I would be strong enough to withstand a killing curse," Harry responded when he sat down on the rocks, hoping they weren't sentient and would not try to eat him again. "It also created an everlasting protection which would have faded by the time my seventeenth birthday passed. However, the Basilisk Venom and Phoenix Tears in my blood stream combined together with the protective charms and super charged the protection and it came back with a vengeance when I turned eighteen."

Kara's face swam with curiosity and Harry indulged her with more information.

"Super human strength, super speed, enhanced senses, healing from most injuries, and also essentially, the aging process got froze right at the prime of my life," Harry added and Kara looked thoughtful.

"Kryptonian," Kara whispered when she looked at Harry and this statement caught him off guard.

"I beg your pardon?" Harry asked, not sure if he heard her right.

"Your abilities, they're like a Kryptonian," Kara repeated, clear and concise. "Underneath a yellow sun as well, it gives us powers beyond the wildest dreams of mankind. That's the race I'm from, I'm…among the last of the survivors."

"That's interesting," Harry answered when he looked at Kara, before he paused. "Can you do this?"

Without warning, Harry scooped Kara up into his arms and he took flight in the air. It did explain his natural flying skills the first time he picked up a broomstick. These abilities were locked inside him, waiting to come out. He flew around with the bomb bombshell in his arms, circling around the small area they were on the Phantom Zone.

"Under a yellow sun, I can do that, yes," Kara stated when Harry sat her down, a smile crossing her face.

"So all you Kryptonians can do that?" Harry asked when he looked at Kara.

Kara paused, before she remarked in a candid voice. "We should but most of us develop faster than others."

"I see," Harry answered when he looked over Kara. "Well, I see you're developing rather well."

A smile crossed Kara's face, at least a shadow of one. She caught his implied meaning with those words.

"So I'm guessing your people, they invented this place," Harry chimed in and Kara paused, before she nodded.

"My family, the House of El, they helped channel into the Phantom Zone dimension, it was entirely by accident," Kara added when she looked at Harry.

"Some of the best things can be invented by accident or sheer idiocy," Harry remarked to her, mulling over some of those particular discoveries in the magical world.

"Krypton was not the only race to use this place, other alien races tapped onto it and apparently, your Ministry as well," Kara added when she stared at Harry. He was an enigma, but he had the most bewitching green eyes in the world. She caught herself staring into them a few times but they were a shade unlike anything she ever saw before. "What were they dumping here?"

A buzzing got louder and Harry stood rigid when a dusty wind kicked up. He heard something coming and from his enhanced hearing, that something was hungry.

"Hold that thought for just a second," Harry managed when he turned around and peered up when the buzzing got closer, more prominent, and moved towards him.

Insects showed up but they were not any ordinary insects that were the size of a dog, with many eyes, many claws, and sharp teeth. Harry stepped back and could tell that they sensed a free meal but he was not going to allow them to eat him or Kara.

"Stand back," Harry told Kara and there was a moment of protest that flickered through her eyes.

She did so, going behind Harry and waited, before a cold wind kicked up in the Phantom Zone. The dark haired wizard rolled his eyes backwards, chanting a language Kara could not place underneath his breath. The wind kicked up and then snow and ice followed, to freeze the insects in their trails.

A warm glow appeared around both Harry and Kara to shield them from the effects. Other than that, the Phantom Zone insects, they fell to the ground, frozen to death.

"If they come here, there will be more, a nest," Harry concluded and the two quickened their pace.

"How did you keep your powers when you came here? I mean….people who are sent here, they're stripped of their powers and in many cases, their bodies."

Harry's face flickered into a smile before he responded to her with a smile. "Darling, I'm the exception to every single rule in the book."

Kara and Harry reached the edge of a cliff.

"A minor annoyance," Harry added, when he turned around to look off the side of the cliff but the ground shook beneath them and something burrowed underneath the surface. "And that's a big problem."

"You can fly us out of here, though," Kara answered, wrapping her arms around Harry's neck to hold on tight.

"Of course I can, but don't cop a feel or anything when we're in the air," Harry joked to her, when he shot off, as the ground crumbled beneath them and a large tentacle burst from underneath the ground, waving at him. The young wizard peered over his shoulder when Kara hung on tightly to him. "That was a close one."

Kara agreed, that was a close one, she wrapped her arms tightly around Harry. Frustration mounted her; she wished that they could find a way to get her powers back in the Phantom Zone. While she trusted Harry could protect her, she felt like a sitting duck.

The two of them dropped to the ground and Harry rushed around on the ground before he picked up a piece of medal. He transfigured it at super speed, before Kara really saw what he was doing and then put the necessary charm work on it.

When he was done, he held an amulet in his hand and he snapped it onto Kara's neck.

"What's this for?" Kara wondered and Harry happily enlightened her.

"It's a charm that will filter the light in this place into yellow solar radiation and give you your powers back, at least I hope it will," Harry remarked and Kara, seemingly impressed, turned around.

The buzzing indicated that one of those bugs were on the move, having been a bit late to the dinner party and wanted to get the meal for itself.

"No better time for a test," Kara answered before she focused her heat vision and sure enough she felt the tell-tale burning through her eyes before the insect blew up from the impact. "Well it works."

"I'm glad, that's tricky charm work to get right," Harry stated, turning around to see if there were any more guests coming. When he saw that there was no one coming, he relaxed a little bit more. "You did handle yourself pretty well back there when you knocked me to the ground without your powers."

Kara had the decency to look a bit sheepish.

"Sorry about that, I was….I was a bit paranoid after being sent here," Kara stated when she closed her eyes and thought about what happened. "And now, he's on Earth with my cousin and Kal-El has no idea, he's blissfully ignorant."

Kara sighed when she looked up into the sky and tried to remain strong as she could. The blonde looked to the sky but Harry put his arm around her.

"If I could help, we could find a way out," Harry told her gently, seriously. "But I've looked for however long I've been here and found nothing. Not that it matters, I'm better in here, then out there."

The Phantom Zone caused Harry to grow strong because there was only one rule inside the Zone and that was survival. Survival where if he let up for even a minute, the wraiths would get him but there were things that were worse than the wraiths.

Kara thought about it before she came clean with Harry.

"There's one way out of here," Kara admitted to Harry but then she shook her head. "Actually one way I know of, if there's another, I don't know. There's an alter somewhere in here, that can be activated by my bloodline and my bloodline only. It could open up a portal to send us back to Earth, but when and where, I don't know. If I don't time the jump exactly right, we could end up any time, any place. The only thing is that we can't be transported to a place where we already existed in the past."

Kara's shoulders shrugged before she shook her head.

"Time is not linear in here, I arrived on Earth in the year 1989, so I can't go to Earth any time after that until the year 2008 when I disappeared from Earth, never to return," Kara explained to Harry and he nodded.

"You say there was an altar?" Harry asked Kara and the blonde nodded slowly. "It wouldn't happen to be black with a symbol that looks like an "S" carved onto it would it?"

Kara nodded.

"Well, the Dementors claimed that cave with the altar as their personal playground," Harry said when he mulled it over. "They crowded around it, they know, they know that it's their ticket out of here."

"What are the Dementors?" Kara asked when her gaze focused firmly on Harry's but they took flight at another rumble. Both of them felt safer in the air than on the ground especially in a place like this. "That thing you blasted back there, that was of them, wasn't it?"

Harry proceeded to explain the grim truth of Dementors to her. "They are creatures….they feed off of the worst memories, the despair of people."

A pained expression appeared on Kara's face. "The Phantom Zone should be like paradise to them."

"It should be, which is why I think they're by the altar, they don't want anyone to escape before they do," Harry responded when they continued to move through the sky, eyes peered for trouble. "If anyone escapes, well they lose their source of food. They are the best prison guards, they are without thought, feeling, or reason. And shortly after I arrived here, the Ministry lured five hundred of them through, in an attempt to make sure the deed was done."

After all, Harry cheated certain death before and five hundred Dementors would not be missed. The Dementors mutated and combined with the Wraiths to make something awful. Some of the wraiths absorbed into the Dementors but many of them took another path. They bonded with the foul creatures, making them more dangerous than ever before.

If they ever escaped from the Phantom Zone, Harry shuddered to think what was going to happen but he knew that it would not be good. It would put thousands of lives in dangers which is why the young man seemed to work so tirelessly to destroy them.

Kara noticed that things got quiet, a little too quiet for her likely but he maybe she was being a little bit paranoid. The Phantom Zone was a place where there was never a dull moment.

"If I could get you out of here, believe me, I would," Harry answered and Kara's expression turned towards him.

"What about you?'

Harry shrugged. "Don't worry about me, after everything that's happened, I'm sure that I deserve being in here."

Kara frowned. "You were innocent, you don't deserve to be sent here anymore than I was."

"And how do you know I was telling the truth?" Harry asked, to be honest, everyone else called him a delusional liar so many times that he almost believed it. Perhaps he imagined everything that happened, that was a thought that nearly broke his mind when he was in the Phantom Zone.

After all, the best liars were the ones who convinced themselves of the lie.

Kara breathed, to be honest, she had no idea why she trusted Harry, she did trust him and the blonde reached forward, placing her hands on Harry's waist, holding him steady in mid-air.

"You're not used to people believing in you are you?" Kara asked him in a soft and gentle voice, her eyes staring him down, almost as if she peered in his very soul.

"Perceptive and beautiful, that could be quite the dangerous combination," Harry answered when the two smiled at each other but the young wizard cleared his throat before becoming all business. "I'll take you to the altar, see the damage that has been caused, but the fog is thick, and growing thicker, I'm not sure we can get close to it."

"Don't worry, I know the way," Kara added when she flew forward following Harry.

Kara wondered if her cousin was going to try anything reckless like try to find a way to release her out of the Phantom Zone. She knew that there was a portal in the Fortress, and Jor-El could send him there if he found out that Brainiac sent her here that was. The blond closed her eyes, she hoped not. While her uncle restored her memories and powers previously, she did not want to rely on him any more than she had to.

That was providing Brainiac did not kill Kal-El before he realized what happened.

Harry on the other hand, was thinking and pleased to have a companion in the Phantom Zone but he realized that she did not belong in this place. She was innocent, pure, untainted, and there was no reason why he should keep her here. The Zone caused most of the happy memories that he had to be stripped away although somehow, he kept his sanity.

The Dementors, he felt their presence around every corner and knew that they drew nearer. Their cold, rattling breath could be around every corner. They kept near the altar, perhaps they tried to figure out a way to activate it or perhaps they waited for some fool to try so. It was schmuck bait and fresh meat could come around for them to feed on.

* * *

Harry and Kara dropped down on the ground, shivering, the fog causing their skin to freeze and blister a little bit. The swell of bad memories continued to occur, the blonde clutching Harry's arm when her legs buckled underneath her.

"That's as far as I've been able to go," Harry responded when Kara's breath grew labored, rather shallow, and she closed her eyes when she felt it.

It was horrible and this was coming from someone who considered herself to be really strong-willed. The Dementors were as awful as Harry implied and even more so.

"I've….yeah, I don't know, you're strong, really strong," Kara whimpered when she held Harry's arm, bombarded by the thoughts around her, the death of everyone on Krypton when her father shoved her onto the ship, under the false assumption that she would protect Kal-El but in reality she was a means to his ends.

Then she saw Brainiac inject her with something and transport her. The last thing she heard was Brainiac's taunting whisper.

"You've failed Kal-El and there's nothing that you can do to stop his demise."

Kara shook her head and clutched Harry's arm, once again, moments passed when she stood up.

"I can't handle this anymore," Kara breathed and Harry nodded, before he scooped up in his arms and flew her out of the way. The blonde shuddered when Harry got here out of there. "I was nearly crippled by them."

"I took me years before I got used to them," Harry answered when he closed his eyes and thought about it. "The problem is, I don't know if there's another way out. I tried to apparate out….I appeared and reappeared on the same place I stood."

Kara closed her eyes, before she blew her hair back and she gave a resounded sigh. Her body felt frigid and all thoughts of happiness left her before she shook off the dismal thoughts.

"Take some of this," Harry answered when he handed her something. "Chocolate, I transfigured it, it took me forever to get the spells right. For a while, it looked like chocolate but tasted like mud."

Kara pulled a face but then her curiosity got the better of her.

"And how do you know what mud tastes like?"

Harry shifted a little bit, well he was force fed mud by Dudley and his gang one time, and worms too. Worms actually weren't a bad source of protein, strictly speaking, but he shook his head. It was rather bad when he thought of worms as edible food.

"It's an expression," Harry answered when he handed the chocolate to Kara. "You'll feel loads better, promise."

Kara trusted him to take the foot and gave a nibble on it. She never had this chocolate, not even on Earth, but she wondered if she had more. Her taste buds bubbled with sensations that she never imagined when her brain went wild. With reckless abandon, she shoved the chocolate into her mouth and ate it up.

"You're right, I feel better," Kara added when she rested her head on Harry's shoulder and he touched down at a makeshift camp.

"We should be safe here, for a few hours, I'll put the necessary charms up but the Phantoms always find a way in," Harry responded to her and she saw him do a series of complicated motions with his hand and a few lights shot into the air. "But the early warning system should tell me if they get close."

Harry transfigured a pair of rocks into comfortable chairs. Amazed, Kara smiled before she sat down.

"You're really good at this," Kara praised him when she smiled almost teasingly. "Don't suppose you could magic us up a TV set with cable?"

"Sorry, can't go that far, besides television rots your brain," Harry stated when he looked at Kara gave a mocking pout before she smiled and leaned back to relax. "I was surprised that someone popped up, after all of this time. I've seen those Phantoms all around."

"Yeah, they're everywhere," Kara remarked when she crossed her legs on the chair and tapped her foot on the ground in tune to…well nothing in particular as it turned out. She closed her eyes, crossed her arms, and sighed. "Thank you for saving me back there, both times, I guess."

"It wasn't anything I wouldn't do for any other gorgeous alien girl that was sent to this place," Harry stated and the blonde smiled before she asked a question before she could really help herself.

"So did you have anyone…special back home?"

Kara realized how personal that question was the instant she asked it and Harry raised an eyebrow. The blonde appeared flustered and flushed a little bit, a pink twinge appearing on her cheeks before she mouthed the word "sorry" and sat back, rigid.

"No, it's quite alright, there were a few girls here and there, but it's so far in the past that it hardly matters," Harry remarked when he looked at Kara seriously.

"You must have been rather popular," Kara responded in an honest voice, allowing herself a good long look at Harry now that they were not running for their lives.

Harry chuckled before he crossed his arms a little bit. "One might say that but for all the wrong reasons I think. Still there were a few girls that I had been involved with. One of them happened when I was fourteen years old. I saved this girl's sister from merepeople in the lake and well she wasn't in any real danger but I wasn't going to turn down the thank you she gave me."

"I'd imagine," Kara responded when she blinked her eyes and invited Harry to continue.

"Then there was my girlfriend, kind of serious, but not really, we put break up and make up to an entirely new level, but given that I saw her former boyfriend die before my very eyes that relationship was doomed to fail," Harry answered seriously when she gave him a sad smile. "She did like me, but not as much as I thought she did and she wanted closure through me. We broke it off, I don't know what became of her, she could have died, got married, who knows really."

Kara nodded when she considered him.

"I had a study group in my fifth year at school, a few of the girls thanked me for my help and the good grades I got them on their examination thanks to their teaching," Harry added when he looked at Kara who understood what his implied meaning was.

Many people would believe that he was not telling the truth.

"Anyone else?" Kara asked when she looked at Harry.

Harry felt a bit sheepish at this next point but only slightly. "My…people in my neighborhood spread rumors about me that I was a criminal, a delinquent, and everything along that. There's a saying that some girls on Earth liked bad boys, as I found that out the summer after my fifth year and after what happened that year, I needed all the stress relief I could handle. I decided to use that unearned reputation as a good thing."

Kara understood that Harry needed all of the relief that he needed, the bits and pieces that he allowed to slip about his life, she thought he lead a tough life. Even before being sent here to the Phantom Zone, he was here for a lot. The blonde figured that for this reason alone, Harry did not go mad and positively feral in the Phantom Zone. A hard life toughened him too much for him to be phased by anything that occurred in this place.

A loud rumbling echoed to snap Kara out of her thoughts and Harry got up to his feet, agitated that the nice conversation he was having with his companion was interrupted.

"The damn Ministry and their experiments against nature, the Dementors aren't the only thing they dumped inside the Phantom Zone," Harry cursed when he prepared to figure out what dangerous thing popped in this time. It was likely some creature with many eyes, many tentacles, and many teeth that even Hagrid wouldn't want to keep as a pet.

That's how monstrous these things were.

"Are you sure it's from the Ministry?" Kara asked but there was a rumbling and a whisper, horrific strangled whispers.

The hideous creatures were the least of their worries for the Dementors turned up. The abominations were consumed by the hideous soul sucking monsters.

"They're feeding," Harry whispered when he felt the cold fury of the Dementors that glided towards him.

Years and years in the Phantom Zone gave Harry the need to do something, anything to pass the time. He went through countless memories of Lord Voldemort to learn magic that had been lost to time. The Dark Lord scoured the globe to learn more about anyone, traveling for over fifteen years. He sought out masters of the magical arts and when he learned everything from these old masters, he killed them. The knowledge was for Riddle and Riddle alone.

That was not all; he learned languages, especially the one spoken by the Dementors, and learned from them well. He finally understood what these hideous creatures talked about. A common phrase he heard was "get the accursed one" whenever he faced the monsters.

Apparently, Harry was infamous with the Dementors and it would be bragging rights for the one who sucked his soul out.

"They're…they're after me and they're after you as well," Harry managed when he tried to fly out of range with Kara. The two of them flew off, feeling the numbness in their fingers and toes.

"Why are they after me?" Kara wondered, dreading the answer.

"They're working for someone," Harry responded when he tried to focus on the language. "Someone named…Zed I think his name is."

"Zed?" Kara asked in a confused voice, wondering why someone named Zed would be after her.

"I don't know….they want to use you to open the altar to release him, so he can resume his plans to take over Earth," Harry responded and Kara nearly stopped in midair.

Fear flooded her, she wondered if Harry made a mistranslation but there was no time to worry. The Dementors were after them, dozens of them, and the dark haired wizard sent another Patronus spell over his shoulder. The bright light blinded them.

"Zed….are you sure it wasn't Zod?" Kara asked quietly, fearing these hideous creatures were working for Krypton's greatest menace.

Harry heard whispers about Zod in the Phantom Zone now that he thought about it and knew he was one that the wraiths feared among all others. If he co-opted the Dementors as his own personal army, that did not bode well with their long-term prospects of survival.

Not that Harry was going to go down without a fight and he was pretty sure Kara shared the same ideals.

**To Be Continued in the Next Chapter.**


	3. Seeing the Light

**Chapter Two: Seeing the Light**

Harry and Kara stood side by side in the Phantom Zone, the two of them were ready to take anything on that came their way, even if it was at the risk of causing them some level of injury. They would fight anything and everything, no matter the cost. The two of them stood side by side; they knew that Zod was here and if he was nearby, there would be trouble.

As long as they stood together, the two of them knew that they could deal with anything that they went up against.

"So on a scale of one to ten, if we're dealing with Zod, how bad is it?" Harry asked Kara curiously, granted he did know of the man but he felt Kara could share some insight that would help him being that she lived through some of his horrors.

There was a moment of pause before Kara's lips curled into a frown and she stated her answer, slowly and rather carefully.

"A twelve."

Kara's answer filled Harry with a certain amount of trepidation but then again he fought menaces like this for longer than he cared to remember. The Phantom Zone was full of them and now with her powers back the girl who stood beside him looked equally poised for the battle. The blonde Kryptonian stood ready to face anything that went her way and the wizard had to admit that was an attitude that inspired him.

A smile crossed Harry's face, seeing how determined she was.

"Are you ready?"

Kara nodded but it did not matter if she was ready or not because here they came, soulless and demented terrors, making their way through the Phantom Zone to seek out their prey. And once again the prey was Harry and Kara and she felt a shiver wash over her.

Without being able to use the magic that Harry had at his disposal, she felt rather worthless and dare she say it, helpless, but she shook her head that was not an attitude to have. These monsters could feed on their fear so Kara must remain confident.

"Get the accursed one."

To Harry, he heard that perfect but to Kara all that was cold rattling breath. He closed his eyes and brought up a new invention of his that he developed given all of the free time he had in the Phantom Zone, the Patronus Shield.

It was a combination of a shield spell and the Patronus Charm that wrapped around the Dementors, at least eight of them at a time and caused them to feel the similar despair that they caused humans. It was a nasty taste of their own medicine that would prevent them from attacking them.

Needless to say there was a good reason why Harry got the moniker of the accursed one.

"Run!"

Harry and Kara ran or rather flew, and there was a rattling breath of the Dementors behind them, more of them gaining momentum. They could feel slimy hands reaching for them in the air, but Harry sent another Patronus shield behind his back. The shield ensnared the horrors and kept them in place, holding them at bay.

"We can lose him through there," Harry pointed when he pointed to the red fog that rose but Kara was not sure about that, it looked sinister. He sensed that she seemed anxious so Harry turned around to her, looking over his shoulder. "Do you trust me?"

Kara looked at him with a bit of hesitation but she nodded. "Yeah."

"Then we won't get hurt," Harry answered when they went through the fog. Being super invulnerable thanks to their powers, they were able to get through the fog without any kind of problems whatsoever.

Their clothes on the other hand, well they were a little less lucky, the fog ate through fabric and they continued to move forward further through the fog. As it turned out, the Dementors could not track them through this sinister mist. Harry made sure to hold onto Kara's hand when he pulled her forward through the fog and the two of them continued to go through it.

Were they going to make it?

Yes as it turned out they were going to make it, for whatever it was worth, they continued to pick up momentum when they lost the Dementors and the two of them dropped to the ground, the gravity of the Phantom Zone altered. The further away they got, the harder it was for either of them to fly. The gravity pushed onto them, forcing them down and caused them to go down with each other.

Harry fell down on the ground first, only a few strands of his clothes wrapped around him. Kara on the other hand, was pressed against him, completely naked. Her lovely body pressed against him and got a little bit of reaction from Harry when blood rushed to his groin and he saw quite a beautiful set of breasts in front of his line of sight.

Kara brushed it off, it was a normal biological reaction, what she was more concerned about was the fact that they dropped out of the air.

"I think we're in a section of the Phantom Zone with hyper gravity," Kara whispered when she looked at them and sure enough they felt something lightly press upon them. Harry conjured her a blue half shirt and a red skirt, which she put on her body.

"Nice, all you'll need is a cape," Harry stated when he looked at Kara, who still looked lovely as the fabric wrapped snugly around her. "Sorry it's a bit tight; clothes transfiguration is not my thing."

Not that he had any reason to make it less tight when he saw how it wrapped around his companion's assets. And she did not seem to mind it all that much, so all was good.

"It looks good on you though," Harry answered when Kara turned around and moved with a smile.

"Yeah, it looks good," she admitted when she saw herself on the reflective surface. She was not one to preen in front of the mirror but she took a look at herself. "And….you're right, a cape would be a great addition."

Harry watched her walk forward, he wondered if the little sway she added to her hips was accidental or intention but that was something he would worry about at a later time. Now they had to worry about where they were in the Phantom Zone and the trouble that they were in.

Kara saw that the amulet was still fastened tightly to her neck that was a good sign as always. She gave her amulet a little shake and breathed in heavily, her powers of flight were still down given this hyper gravity they were in. Even Harry's magically aided flight did not work in the gravity. Did her other powers work?

Harry's clothes were back on, so Kara decided that this was a perfect opportunity to try out her X-Ray vision, yeah that works rather well. She smiled, really getting the sight of what she saw and Harry slowly turned around when he saw her scope him out with her powers.

"You know if you wanted to check me out, you don't really have to use your X-Ray vision," Harry remarked and Kara refused to be innocent, in fact she looked back at him with a grin.

"Maybe I'll take you up on that offer later, when we get out of here," Kara responded before she stopped unable to believe that she was flirting back but for some reason, it felt so natural. She shook her head, this hyper gravity must be screwing with her mind, she blew her hair out of her face and sighed long when her eyes screwed shut when she placed her hands on her hips.

The blonde stepped forward a few inches on the ground, her feet sinking on the ground underneath and Harry grabbed her by the arm.

"There's something….there's something here," Harry breathed in her ear and the hairs on Kara's neck practically stood up when she shuddered.

"What's here?" Kara asked when she shook her head and Harry pulled her back a little bit more when they waited for the next noise, both listening with enhanced hearing.

A loud grumbling sound could be heard by the two prisoners that answered their question. Kara and Harry stood and they saw a large beast, white, slimy, with many eyes, teeth, and tentacles push its way out of the out of the mud, muck and grime rolling over its body. The beast gave a might growl which caused the two to step back and two blasts hit it full on.

One blast of magical energy and one blast of heat vision, neither of them were effective and both of them made them bounced off the creature but it did move. In fact its growls got more prominent and it reached forward, tentacles bared to grab onto the top of them. Kara and Harry found themselves hoisted several feet off the ground ensnared in the slimy grip of this creature.

Harry used a spell to blind its eyes but there were so many of them that the point was moot. The creature staggered a little bit and was only partially blinded from the attack. The two struggled with Kara closing her eyes, and suddenly an explosion rang out with the creature blowing up.

Before it happened and Harry ran this over in his mind, Kara's body sized up with a warm glow and the creature spontaneously combusted. Had the creature not tried to eat the pair of them for dinner, Harry would have been a little bit sad. That being said, a part of the creature stabbed into him, thankfully he healed easily but healing easily did not bar something from hurting like hell.

"Harry?" Kara asked when she looked at him, concern swimming in her bright blue eyes when she took a tepid step forward across the soil, hoping that creature did not have more frees. She saw Harry's forearm, raw and red, and it looked quite nasty, she winced a little bit when she looked at it.

"It looks worse than it feels," Harry answered when he looked at Kara, feeling the stabbing pain, but she grabbed him around the wrist and examined him, through narrowed blue eyes.

"I did this to you, when that thing exploded, I made it explode with my mind," Kara stated when she frantically went over every single possibility in her mind and hoped that she did not poison Harry or something worse. She was kind of growing fond of him and maybe not because he was the only thing in the Phantom Zone that did not want to kill her. "That….that looks bad."

"It's fine," Harry answered but Kara grabbed him firmly by the wrist and looked at it, trying to figure out the source of the indentation, much time passed before she gave her analysis.

"It's healing but that would have killed a normal person," Kara said when she lightly held onto Harry's wrist, almost like she was afraid his arm would fall off. "We still should check it for an infection or something, who knows what toxins that creature could have had in it?"

"No problem, we'll just step up to the nearest hospital in the Phantom Zone," Harry responded in a dry voice but Kara grabbed him, making sure that he stayed with her when the two of them walked.

"We need to find a way out," Kara stated when the dusty winds blew, making it very hard to see, although she supposed that they could feel those awful things if they came after them again.

"I've searched for….I don't know, twenty, thirty years, damned if I know, and there's no way out of here," Harry answered when he looked at Kara, the two of them staring each other down. He came up with the grimmest assessment that he could. "And we'll let something out, something worse….wherever we go or whenever we go."

Harry felt a little feverish but he shook it off when they continued to walk down a steep set of rocks. The hyper gravity eased up allowing the duo to fly up over the air, with the natural resistance in Harry's body easing up a little bit and feeling his shivers go down his body, causing his veins to freeze before they felt warmth.

"Are you sure you're alright?" Kara asked Harry when she had him propped up against her when they flew side by side in the air.

"Yeah, peachy," Harry stated in a crisp voice but he shook his head. "You on the other hand, performed magic."

"I'm pretty sure that was a panicked reaction to the fact we were both nearly eaten," Kara argued with Harry but a slight expression of discontent crossed Harry's face when he peered Kara in her eyes.

"That's what accidental magic is in a nutshell, a reaction to a change….something that causes your flight or fight mechanism to delve towards fight, to defend yourself from harm," Harry explained when Kara nodded, understanding what she told him. "Now everyone has magic in them but many people cannot force it out. Some magic, it's like a drop of water, for others it's much more than that, like a cup and for many other's it's like a river. And from the way your body glows, I say you're pretty powerful."

Kara refused to believe this point and stated it to Harry.

"I can't….magic hasn't been performed by anyone in over five hundred years on Krypton. We lost the gifts."

"Magic never is lost, it just goes dormant," Harry responded in a swift voice when he peered at Kara, still seeing the subtle glow of power go around her body. "And you have the gifts; you may be equal to me in power."

"You think I'm your equal?" Kara asked when she looked at Harry, swallowing the lump in her throat, seeing Harry perform magic that was amazing and beyond her wildest imaginations and something she only could hope to do.

"In every way," Harry responded when he gave her a warm smile and tapped his foot on the ground. "And now that we have a moment where people aren't trying to kill us perhaps you want to try for something."

Kara nodded when she wondered what Harry had in mind and shook her head before she stood on the ground, taking her breath and looking at him. She had no idea how long they've been running but in the Phantom Zone, it could be moments in here but years on the outside world. Or maybe vice versa, time did not make sense in this dimension. The strange properties of the Zone played tricks on the minds of everyone who resigned here.

"Lift up this rock, levitate it," Harry told her and Kara's eyes turned towards him with a quizzical expression in her eyes. "Levitation is the simplest magic in the world, the first they teach us, among the first. Go ahead and levitate it. There's no need for words or wands, just your mind and will power."

Harry learned that was the secret, all of the laws of magic was to put restrictions on magic users by the Ministry so they could control what was possible. Yet was magic not achieving the impossible? Kara closed her eyes and tried to levitate the rock.

She strained herself trying to do so but the rock remained stationary on the ground.

"Kara, I know you can do it," Harry stated when he looked at the blonde. "You've got to focus and tap into your inner strength, believe you can."

"I'll try," Kara managed when she looked at the rock, trying to will the rock above the ground.

She could not do this, in fact the entire thing felt stupid, now she knew how Kal-El felt when she easily flew and he could not.

"There is no try, you either do or do not," Harry responded when he looked at Kara before he looked at her. "Come on, it's easy!"

Kara managed to levitate the rock off the ground before it landed and she staggered back, dizzied from the effort. She tapped into something and Harry caught her in his arms, dipping her back to face her. The two went face to face when Harry bent Kara backwards and peered into her eyes.

"That's how you do magic," Harry stated when he looked at Kara and the blue eyed blonde smiled when they gazed into each other's eyes. "It gets easier, trust me, I'll teach you everything I can. The only limit is your mind."

"The mind can be a very powerful thing," Kara remarked wisely and Harry responded with a nod.

"And dangerous as well, do not forget dangerous," Harry answered when the two of them walked forward and continued to walk around the Phantom Zone with the blonde soaking in every bit of wisdom Harry gave her like a sponge when they continued to travel through the Zone.

* * *

 

Days passed, maybe weeks but Harry and Kara made their trek through the Phantom Zone, stalking the altar when they can, going back every so often when they could to check it out. The two currently watched, cloaked in invisibility now. Harry made Kara a modified invisibility cloak although it was not potent as the Cloak of Invisibility back on Earth was.

Granted it did not cloak them from the Dementors to begin with but there were other things in the Phantom Zone that it could cloak them from.

The Hallows were an interesting thing, as Harry knew the Ministry was coming, so he took the Hallows and hid them under a Fidelius Charm in a shack. He gave the secret to a dying Muggle cancer patient in exchange for using his powers to put him out of his misery. He was sure that some of the greedy people in the Ministry would like nothing better than to get their hands on the keys to ultimate power.

Harry essentially flipped them off before he was shoved through into the Phantom Zone.

"I wish we could drive them away," Kara whispered when she clutched Harry's arm and stepped forward but he shook his head.

"It's our only ticket out and they know it is," Harry responded, they would love nothing better than to grab Harry and Kara, and make her use it to let them out to cause untold havoc on the Earth.

Kara thought she made strides on her training with Harry, when they could spare a few minutes when not running from the monster of the day. The two shared stories of their adventures and in a few cases, their misadventures, talking about everything that happened to them. The two got to know each other and grew closer.

"Did you hear the whispers?" Kara asked Harry and he nodded knowing what she was referring to.

"The one's about Kandor," Harry stated before the blonde stood beside him and looked up with wide eyes.

"Do you think they're true?" Kara inquired Harry, valuing his opinion.

Harry wondered that as well, from what Kara told him, all of Krypton should be destroyed, she hardly believed it but it was true. If a part of it was out there then Harry would like to share her hope that something from it could be salvaged. Even if the situation could be hopeless, surely Kal-El and Kara were not the only ones who escaped Krypton?

"I don't know Kara, it's possible but….the Phantom Zone, how would they know?"

Kara nodded slowly, she did wonder how they would know, but then again perhaps some of them were sent here after the destruction of Krypton. The Phantom Zone offered a wide variety of criminals throughout the twenty eight galaxies after all and the very worst of them at that.

"So are you going back to your world?" Kara asked when she looked at Harry.

Harry paused before he raised an eyebrow and looked at her. "Go back to what?"

Harry shook his head when he crossed his arms and looked up before he returned to Kara.

"The only reason I have to go back to that world….is good old fashioned revenge and let's face it, that's not going to really reverse what happened. The Ministry took all my resources, the world things I'm already dead and gone. I imagine the few friends I still had disappeared by now or worse."

Kara thought that this thought was extremely pessimistic of Harry but ultimately it was true, that much was certain. The world did not appreciate Harry when he was there and he returned, gain his revenge everyone that did him wrong, but where we he go from there?

"I'd imagine that they either did a good job of making me the villain or erasing me from history, white-washing the fact that I saved them from one of the most dangerous dark lords in history," Harry stated with a bit of bitterness dripping from his voice when Kara nodded by his side. That was likely to be the truth. "They're….most of them are either corrupt and don't deserve to be saved."

"There will be other people in the world that will appreciate a hero even though that hidden world never did," Kara answered in an honest voice and Harry appreciated her sentiment, smiling back to her.

"Of course, I doubt anyone in the Phantom Zone appreciates me." Harry answered and it was that point where Kara could not disagree with him.

"They're not too fond of me either, the House of El has put half of the criminals from Krypton in here, so….yeah they're out for my blood," Kara responded when she let her breath out in a whistle.

That fact was quite literal given the fact that if her blood could activate that altar, it could open up a portal and bring them out of the Phantom Zone. The location was assumed to be Earth, whatever could be considered her present but that was not assured. It was not the sort of thing that she could test out.

"When we get out of here, you want to follow up on those rumors about Kandor?" Harry asked Kara with the blonde slowly turning towards him and offering him a bright smile.

"You'd go with me to search for Kandor?"

"Of course, what better do I have to do on Earth?" Harry asked, when he wrapped his arms around Kara as they continued their staking out of the area around the cave. They could tell the altar was nearby, the fog was concentrated highly around this space and obscured their vision slightly, causing where they were going to be blocked.

Kara smiled, she appreciated that Harry would do that for her, even if it was a really bad rumor that gone wrong. Of course thoughts about Krypton brought her to thoughts about Kal-El and the very real worry that she had about something really bad happening to him with whatever Brainiac was planning.

Did Clark figure out the deception or was he dreadfully blind to it? Brainiac was obviously a master of deception and had his way of manipulating people to do what he wanted, as Kara found out the hard way. The program was something that was a good idea in theory but it was corrupted along the way to achieve one objective and no doubt his final objective would be the full scape destruction the world and every living person on it.

Earth was an interesting world for Kara but really it was not home to her, the Krypton she knew was gone. She foolishly hung up for that hope that Kandor was still out there and her and Harry could find it .She knew in her heart that Harry never really found his place on Earth like her, despite being born there.

Kara hoped, maybe a little bit, that Harry could find a place with her.

Harry meanwhile knew that escape from the Phantom Zone was not going to be easy. While he and Kara could cover each other from danger, it was still obvious that the greatest exit point was the one that hundreds of soul sucking monsters, now more powerful than ever before covered. There was a whisper of Zod once again, even if the phantom himself remained in the shadows, using others to do his bidding. Krypton's greatest menace refused to directly encounter anyone.

Perhaps it was for the best that way but Harry had a reason to get out of here, to help Kara escape and perhaps the two of them could go from there. He looked at her, she was beautiful, strong, and willing to fight for what was right. Those were very endearing qualities to Harry, as he looked at her blonde hair, shimmering blue eyes, and passion and intensity, not to mention the confidence that burned through them.

The two of them might have lost themselves in the despair in this place if they could not be alone and the two of them walked forward, holding their hands together when they continued to inch forward, for some reason their resistance was getting stronger, when they stood together. Although they could not make their ways forward and use the altar due to the high concentration of Dementors that were around it.

"If they would just leave it for a minute, if all of them could leave it, we could dart in there, and I could get us out of here," Kara breathed when she leaned back against Harry, he still had her arms wrapped around her. Her eyes remained focused on the creatures who mumbled.

"A message from Zod," Harry translated when he told Kara who could not resist making a flippant comment.

"Do you mean Zed?"

Harry smiled while Kara mulled that over in her mind.

"I don't know, kneel for Zed doesn't seem as threatening, does it?" Kara asked, when her lips curled into a smile, and she felt strong standing next to her friend.

"Smart, beautiful, and quick witted, you are amazing, Kara," Harry remarked when he held her tight into him and she smiled prettily at him. Then again, she could not be anything else but beautiful.

' _He's pretty amazing himself,'_ Kara thought, feeling the strength and the courage that radiated through the both of them, they could never stand stronger than they stood together.

"Thanks," Kara remarked cool and calm when they continued to stand and edged away from the fog. Despite their strength, they could not stand this place longer.

Harry and Kara edged away, finding it very odd that no one tried to attack them in the Phantom Zone but they shook their heads, taking a few steps off to the side, the two of them continued their walking in the Phantom Zone. They found it very odd that there was no one who came to try and kill them.

Neither of them dared to speak that fact out loud, for it would be cause the situation to be jinxed but both of them thought it, they dared to think that maybe things would get better.

"Constant vigilance, they could be lurking around any corner," Harry whispered in her ear and Kara responded with a nod before she continued to walk forward, with Harry trailing behind her with each step getting closer.

The rattling breath filled the air once again and Harry peered up, that Dementors were coming and they were in full force.

Kara and Harry knew that they could not stand their ground, so they blasted their way as fast as they could manage. They knew the Phantom Zone pretty well at this point or as well as any two people could know it. They had to know it; it was survival of the fittest in here.

"Harry, they're….stronger," Kara breathed when she nearly faltered in the air, but to her relief Harry caught the blonde in his arms.

"I got you, I'm not going to let anything happen to you," Harry stated when the two of them moved forward, and the Dementors moved around. Harry pushed Kara out of the way with both of his strong hands and a frantic voice. "GO! I'M RIGHT BEHIND YOU!"

Kara opened her mouth to protest but she saw Harry do what he can to hold off the Dementors so she could make a clean getaway. All of them were sent in full force.

The Boy-Who-Lived stood, he could not allow Zod to get Kara, the Dementors would be set free and so would he. He saw Kara like a dot, a reluctant one, fly past him, as Harry summoned all of the power he could to his Patronus Shields but it was apparent that something happened.

Something caused his shields to become less than effective.

' _We grow stronger Accursed One….The General brings us food, we feast, off of the despair, he's created a prison that will allow us to grow strong to bring you and the daughter of the House of El to his court. You will kneel before Zod and then we will have your soul.'_

"KNEEL BEFORE THIS!"

Harry blasted a bright bolt of light out to cause the Dementors go but Kara came back at hyper speed, to try and do the Patronus Charm as Harry taught her. He warned her that it was complex magic that most could not grasp but she wanted to learn it.

The problem was the spell was rather feeble and brushed away, and two of the Dementors grabbed Kara, holding her in place. Being the feisty one she was, Kara fought their grip. The third fought his inner nature to drop his hood and suck her soul out but perhaps they can have it once she let them out of the Phantom Zone. A soul so pure and so full of light would be a treat for them, a rare delicacy.

Harry refused to allow them to take Kara so he summoned his full power, a very scary sight indeed and blasted the Dementors full force with the Patronus charm. He thought of Kara to fuel it and the guardians burst out of his hand, by the dozens, shooting forward at his enemies.

The guardians trampled the Dementors, destroying them, shredding them to pieces, and Kara staggered back, awestruck by what happened, she could not believe it. These creatures fled in terror, these guardians Harry summoned far worse than the terrors that they could imagine.

The soul sucking monsters fled immediately away from Harry and Kara, fearing the full power that the accursed one could bring upon them. It was for this fact that the accursed one was called the accursed one.

Kara blinked when she stared at Harry, her eyes widened when she felt the power roll off his body, and the heat when she got a bit too close. It was quite the spectacle between the two of them. He positively glowed, the most dangerous thing in the Phantom Zone or at least with the top ten. Kara found herself glad that Harry was with her and not against her.

"Harry?" Kara asked in a tentative tone of voice, wondering if things got pushed too far.

There was a moment before Harry responded. "Give me a minute to collect my thoughts Kara then I'll be fine."

Kara waited for Harry to collect his thoughts, wondering if those things would come back with reinforcements but a thought struck her.

"Did you ever kill any of those things?"

Harry's eyes snapped towards her.

"No, why?"

Kara inclined her head to the tattered and burned robes, about five, six of them, and slimy bones that laid on the ground within the ashen remains.

"That might indicate that they're dead," Kara stated when she looked at Harry. "You said that they feed off the happy memories of people."

"Yes, and the Patronus gives them so many happy memories that they can't stand it and have to flee," Harry responded when he wondered where Kara was going with this. Curiosity bubbled in his mind when he turned to her.

"I think you might have given what humans call a fatal overdose."

Harry thought about it, wondering if he could be brazen enough to nudge the Dementor with his toe to see if it would wake up. He walked over; wondering what would happen if he touched a Dementor corpse. The wizard in question stepped forward, before he nudged it carefully with his toe.

Thankfully nothing happened it all.

Then a blinding whiz of light above them which caused both of them to nearly jump up, being in the Phantom Zone they knew to regard everything with suspicion and it was with just cause. The crack and bang caused them to jump up and see what was happening.

Kara and Harry stood up when they followed the source of the light, they knew someone was here with them, the question was who? Was it a friend or a foe, or just a figment of their imagination?

The two of them followed the source of the light, they had no idea what came through that vortex that opened above them. Kara and Harry hoped it was someone who might be able to help them but likely it could be another person that might seek to kill them.

There was only one way to find out.

**To Be Continued in the Next Chapter.**


	4. Great Now We're All Stuck

**Chapter Three: "Great We're All Stuck."**

Kara and Harry lurked around off to the side of the shadows there was a time where they needed to carefully edge around the side of everything. The blonde Kryptonian and the dark haired wizard continued to walk carefully step by step around everything, their feet cracking against the ground. The blonde Kryptonian and the dark haired wizard shook their heads when they continued to walk around. Kara in particular tried to zero in on the flash of the light.

"Someone got transported here," Kara stated, even though it was obvious at this point in time. Her shoulders slumped a little bit when Harry put a hand on her shoulder and made sure they stuck to the side. "But are they friend or foe?"

"In this place, it's hard to tell," Harry managed in a whisper when he turned around and his eyes flickered carefully. He kept his eyes forward and tried to look forward but he knew that there was something about the Phantom Zone that put him on edge more than ever before. This would be the type of place that made people feel a little nervous, even the most hardened people in the world. The two walked around with the wizard turning to the Kryptonian. "Careful, it could be a trick to begin with."

Kara nodded, that much was for sure, anything that happens in this Phantom Zone could be a trick. Deception was the rule of the day along with this location being survival of the fittest. She only felt slightly more at ease given her powers, including her growing mastery of magic. Okay to call it mastery would be a stretch because she was a novice in the grand scheme of things. Still she hoped to utilize her full potential.

Meanwhile the words of Alastor Moody rang out in Harry's head, "constant vigilance", those words kept ringing out in the back of his head over and over again, a pretty constant and everlasting mantra that should ensure his survival. The young wizard turned around on his feet and leaned forward on the heels of his feet. He would not allow anything to harm Kara that much was for sure, even if his own health was peril.

' _Got to keep my eyes open,'_ Harry thought when they continued their walk forward.

Kara frowned when she listened for with her enhanced hearing and tried to conjure a sword, just in case. The blade was a little bit dull but Harry corrected her steal making it sharp. Learning self-defense the mundane way was great as her powers would not defeat everyone and there might be an opportunity when she lost her powers. She stepped forward a little bit, with the two of them continuing to walk forward.

They moved to where they figured the source of the light popped up.

Harry turned to Kara with a frown shrugging his shoulders. "I'm guessing that whoever was there, they're not here or they're…..they're on the move."

He paused before he added.

"Or there is someone who is going to pop out of the open and kill us after they drew us over here."

Kara smiled at Harry even if the smile was a bit weak. "You do like to keep on the optimistic side of life don't you? Maybe it is someone who needs our help, who are like us, sent here but they don't belong."

Harry waved his hand over to the side, he didn't think he was being pessimistic, he thought that he was being realistic. There was a huge difference between the two things. He turned off to the side to his blonde companion. "Remember those stealth spells I taught you. Those will come in handy right about now."

Kara agreed, she performed a charm that would allow herself to blend into her surroundings more easily. Harry copied her motions, causing them to resemble what surrounded them in the Phantom Zone. These types of camouflage spells would not hold them for long but they would hold long enough for them to sneak around and do what needed to be done in the area of the Zone.

There were many ghostly whispers around the pair of them and they kept their wits about each other when they continued to walk around the area of the Zone. The duo stood with their eyes narrowed when they slid across the dirt of the Zone and arched their necks to see what was up. The seconds ticked by, although given how weird the time passed in the Phantom Zone, it could be minutes or hours or even days before they could locate the flash in the air. That was how things tended to work in this messed up dimension, everything was turned upside down.

"Keep focused," Harry whispered to Kara and she nodded, a bit annoyed that he told her the obvious. Then again she figured that he was only looking out for her and making sure that everything went by okay.

The two stepped forward and they could hear a light moaning from the horizon, down into a dusty valley. Dust in the Phantom Zone was rarely a good thing, as it cut out one of their senses. Granted both Harry and Kara learned to listen, smell, touch, although perhaps not taste as much as they figured that nothing inside this Phantom Zone would taste that good to be honest.

Dust was bad, there was no question about that, that was one thing that should not be debated. There was one thing that was worst than dust inside the Phantom Zone and that was the thick fog that kicked up whenever the Dementors were around. It blinded them when they moved around and they shook their heads, trying to ignore the feeling of hopelessness. Sending a Patronus would give away their position even though one killed all of those Dementors back there. They wondered if there were any survivors that that saw what happened.

Kara craned her neck when she peered over the side and she spun around to face Harry. She could hardly believe it when she saw him down on the ground and she was there as well. The blonde Kryptonian and the dark haired wizard locked eyes with each other when they gripped each other's hands and saw what was there. A million questions swam through Kara's mind, she could not even being to quantify them all.

Did they arrive here intentionally or by an accident? She figured it was an accident because Clark would not bring Lois here, at least not willingly. As far as Kara knew, Lois was blissfully ignorant about the secret although she suspected that the woman would put two and two together before too long and then he would be in for it.

Perhaps Brainiac sent them here?

This was another possible idea to be honest and Kara knew that if Brainiac sent them here, then the Earth would be in peril. If she was Brainiac, she would send Clark here at the first possible time, so she could destroy the Earth. At least that's what made the most sense to Kara.

She really thought too much about the probable plans of villains.

And there was also the possibility that this was not the real Lois and Clark but rather some Phantom Zone trick. It was best to remain on their guard and remain focused, intent, constant vigilance as Harry stated. Kara thought that those words were great, words to live by. At the very least it would allow them some survival in the Phantom Zone.

* * *

Clark saw Lois out like a light at his feet and he shook his head, it took him a moment to realize where he was and how he got there. He received a package with a crystal in it and bang, he was sent through the portal into the Phantom Zone. He kneeled down and tried to figure out what was happening with him and shook his head. It was bad enough he was here but Lois was sent here. She did not understand the danger that she was in after all.

He remembered the last time he was sent to the Phantom Zone all too well, and all of the problems for almost a year with the Phantoms that were let out. He fought them many times and many people were put in the crossfire to say the very least. The Last Son of Krypton stood on his knees, nearly staggering a little bit, before he saw Lois down on the ground.

"Oh, my head, I don't think that this is because of happy hour," Lois managed when she shook her head, trying to get up to her feet but she staggered around with Clark gently and casually supporting her. "Clark, where….oh my god….I don't think we're on Earth anymore."

Lois got up to her feet, staggering, it would not surprise her at all if she had some kind of concussion but her head was ringing never the less. Her eyes felt a bit funky as she tried to focus on everything around her. The dust around her, not to mention the heavy concentration of fog, made things a lot worse. She stepped forward and nearly collapsed but Clark continued to hold her up.

"It's freezing in here, do you feel that chill?" Lois asked when she looked at Clark, trying to keep her wits about herself, whatever happened to them, this would not be the perfect time to panic.

Clark honestly had to answer when he felt the numbness going through his body. "Yes Lois, I feel the chill, and….it's not good."

Clark staggered around a little bit and shook his head, but Lois seemed to be jumping to the worst possible conclusions. If she knew where she was, then…well then there would be problems. He would have to explain a lot when the duo continued to walk forward. The brunette beside him started to breath heavily, careful not to freak out all too much but at the same time, it was hard to keep all of her wits among herself in the place where she was.

"Clark….I think we got abducted by aliens," Lois managed when she looked towards Clark and Clark tried to remain firm and on his feet.

"Aliens….Lois I…."

"That's what was there, aliens, how do you explain what happened?" Lois asked him in a tone that Clark knew better by this point not to question. "The blinding flash of light, waking up in a strange place….at least probing wasn't involved, at least I hope not, I don't remember if it was but….how long were we out?"

Lois paused before she added another point.

"And what the hell is with this frigid chill?"

Clark could not answer this, perhaps because he was unable or unwilling, he had no idea. He turned to Lois, nervously waiting for something to happen. It was going to take every ounce of cunning he possessed to find a way to get them out of the Phantom Zone without him blowing his secret. He might be put in what one might consider to be a no win situation. At the very least, it was not good.

The fog got thicker when they approached and suddenly Clark staggered forward, feeling paralyzed. This was worse than Kryptonite at its very worst and he tried to stagger around when he felt something. There was some kind of horror there but he could not see it.

"Clark?" Lois asked but then she felt the cold chill wash over her body as well when she staggered a little bit, dizzied and unable to find herself back to a standing position. She shook her head and gave a cough that rattled her body. The woman tried to maintain some level of clarity but she about collapsed when several memories that she would like to keep suppressed flooded back to her.

What was happening?

Lois did not know.

' _It's him the son of Jor-El.'_

' _Zod will be pleased.'_

' _Feast upon the other one, she is of no use.'_

The Dementors glided forward, even though Lois could not see any of them, she about passed out from the misery. She staggered a little bit before she felt cold and clammy hands grab her around the wrists and steady her, holding her up a little bit. The woman tried to get back to her feet but it was all for nothing when she felt the cold rattling breath in her face.

"LOIS!" Clark yelled but he was too paralyzed to move, the creatures grabbed onto him.

Lois felt that she was on the edge of a near death experience but little did she know that whatever she felt was much worse than anything she could ever imagine in her entire life. The instant that she felt the cold breath on her, her mind went numb and terrible things flooded back into her mind. Her knees buckled as she felt so close, it was almost like an important part of her was about to become disconnected from her very being.

Two figures bolted in seizing the moment, she blacked out the second, wondering where she would wake up. Lois was out of it, having experienced those things a bit up close and personal but one of them was able to verify that her soul was completely intact. That was a bit of a close call and then it was time to run these things off into the night, to make sure they would never harm another person ever again.

Clark staggered off to the side a little bit, feeling the tight grip on his wrists being retracted. He felt the need to throw up but thankfully he kept it all together, there was a bright white light that shot through the Phantom Zone that was blinding. The Last Son of Krypton tried to figure out what he was up against but he could not, no matter what. He staggered a little bit, nearly out of it when a figure grabbed him firmly around the shoulders.

"Let's go, Kal-El," she whispered urgently, before she hoisted him up and shot him out of there, at the speed of light.

Clark was trying to figure out what happened and he knew Lois was left behind but sure enough, something held her up as well when she seemed to be flying from some invisible force. Then again, given what he felt, it was almost as if the Last Son of Krypton flew by some invisible force as well, something that was unable to keep him up and high above the air.

He took a moment before it all settled in for a moment, he could hardly believe that he could not figure it out before. With a pained expression, Clark managed one word. "Kara?"

Brainiac said that what happened to her was much worse than death and there were few things worse than Death than the Phantom Zone. He felt a twist of guilt that he did not look for her harder and had been side tracked by other things. Still the Phantom Zone was not a picnic. Especially since the fact he encountered those things that tried to rip and pull at his body, and it felt like he was drowned in ice water. He also never thought that he would be happy ever again and Clark wondered what was going.

He never met these things before during his previous trip in the Phantom Zone and believe him, something like that would stick out as a very vivid memory, there was no question about that. Yet there were no memories of anything in the Phantom Zone whatsoever. Clark shook his head, rattled and confused, dazed and unable to really focus on anything other than making sure that he survived long enough to draw another breath.

Of course it was at this point where Clark passed out but no doubt when he woke up, there would be answers.

Providing he did wake up that is.

* * *

Clark's eyes flickered open when he rested on the ground.

"Excellent you're awake," Harry answered when he looked over Clark.

"What happened?" Clark asked when he tried to get himself to his feet but he sank to the ground.

"Oh, just to give you a summary of events, you got attacked by soul sucking monsters that have been imprisoned her in the Phantom Zone after my idiot government threw me in," Harry answered in a casual voice when he said everything. "And then you and your girlfriend here or whatever she is, you nearly died or worse….actually far worse, you got your souls sucked out."

Clark paused when he shook his head but he saw Lois down on the ground.

"What were you thinking coming here Clark?" Kara asked when she popped up. "Now you're here, you can't leave, and great that means we're all stuck here and everything and….oh it's good to see that Brainiac didn't kill you."

"It wasn't for any lack of trying," Clark responded, he would be a lot happier with seeing his cousin if his head was not buzzing in a constant flux and he shook his head to try and return himself to some level of clarity. "And I didn't come here on my own free will, it was the crystal from the Fortress, it sent me here and Lois but we got to find a way to send Lois back."

Kara placed her hands on the side of her temples and sighed when she turned to look at Clark.

"If only it was that simple," Kara responded when she shook her head and took a deep breath. "The problem is that the Phantom Zone has gotten a lot more dangerous since you got here. The things that you accidentally let out last time….well they're rather tame compared to what you let out this time. Harry will tell you more about it, in great detail if we don't have to run for our lives anytime soon."

"It's simple," Harry responded, okay it was needlessly complicated. "My people….being the brain surgeons that are, sent me through a mystical veil that caused me to end up in this place years and years ago. They sent some of their worst creations in after me because I have this ability to not die when people want to me too. I've been running for my life for decades."

Clark's face flashed with a look of skepticism.

"You don't believe me, well that's fine, all you need to know is that you will die in here if you don't fight for everything you have and then more," Harry answered before he inclined his head to Lois. "Fight for her if you need any motivation, I don't know what your relationship is, we just met but you know what, if you have any sense of self preservation in you, you should know that the Phantom Zone isn't what it used to be."

Clark had one question. "How could I didn't encounter you or any of us this in the Phantom Zone for the first time?"

"Time and space behaves strangely in the Phantom Zone, it of the effects that drives the prisoners mad," Kara explained when she looked at Clark. "Harry and I have been in here for a couple of months already, maybe less, maybe more, it is hard to tell in here. All you need to know is that these things make everything worse and as dangerous as they were before, if they are let out into the world, it would be a chaotic mess to put things kind of bluntly."

Kara let out her breath, hoping that Clark would understand where she was coming from, even though there were sometimes where it was hard for her to relate to him. He spent so much time on Earth and she did on Krypton, that she found it hard to figure out where his head was. She wanted to understand but at the same time she could not understand, that much was for sure.

"There's got to be a way out of here," Clark persisted in a very stubborn tone of voice.

Kara let out the breath she held before she turned to Clark. "There is but there isn't."

Clark caught that statement and decided to call Kara out on it. "There either is or there isn't, it has to be one or the other isn't it?"

Kara's frustration mounted on her face. "It's not that simple, Clark, there is an exit point in the Phantom Zone but remember those soul sucking monsters Harry got done explaining to you about. Well they're guarding the exit point, either waiting for someone to try and use it so they can get a good meal or someone to let them out. What is worse, you tell me?"

Clark took a step back and considered the situation, yeah to say that they were in for it now would be putting things extremely mildly. He liked to think that nothing was hopeless but there was something about the Phantom Zone now that made it far worse. And make no mistake about it, the Zone was hell on Earth before. There was a reason why the worst prisoners in the universe were sent there but now things increased by tenfold.

Lois rubbed the side of her head.

"I had the most horrible….." Lois managed when she got back to life and blinked her eyes when she looked around. "Oh, we're still not in Kansas anymore, are we?"

"I'm afraid not," Harry added when he spoke up for the first time and Lois backed up a little bit, feeling a bit of shuddering fear coming within her, even though she tried not to show it.

"You're not the alien who is going to….eat my brains, are you?" Lois asked Harry but the dark haired wizard shook his head.

"No, I find the taste of human brains to be quite awful," Harry responded without missing a beat and this caused Kara to crack a smile.

"Oh my, Kara, they got you too," Lois stated when she looked at her. "Just….just stay calm, and maybe he won't attack."

"Harry's okay, he helped me out here," Kara responded when Lois's eyes widened.

"No, you've….you've developed Stockholm Syndrome," Lois responded when she took a break but then she felt the chill that she felt. "Why is this place cold all of the sudden, how do you people live with yourselves?"

"That's not the cold, that's the Dementors in this place," Harry answered and Lois sat up a little bit wondering what Dementors were. Although judging by the tone of this person who may or may not be an alien, they were nothing good and she sensed a tiny bit of fear, not much but maybe a tiny bit. And maybe respect for how dangerous they were. "And I'm Harry by the way."

"Wonderful, I always like to know the name of my murders," Lois responded but she was handed a piece of chocolate and he did the same to Clark. "You're going to brainwash us with chocolate. Granted there are far worse ways to go but…."

"It will help with the effects against Dementors, trust me," Harry answered but Lois shivered.

Most of the time when someone told them to trust her, that normally meant that she should really be suspicious by their actions but at the same time Kara gave her a reassuring smile. The blonde took the chocolate up to her lips and began to eat it, feeling the warmth come back to her.

"I've heard about some people using Kool-Aid but never chocolate," Lois answered but she shrugged, Clark ate it too and so did this Harry. "Oh well, won't hurt, join the dark side and all that, they have chocolate."

Lois took the chocolate with a shrug but they had far greater problems, namely finding a way to get out of the Phantom Zone.

* * *

General Zod was known throughout the Phantom Zone as one of the greatest terrors in the universe, a true monster who had the blood of countless on his hands. Some of the most hardened prisoners in the world even feared the General a little bit due to his sadistic methods. Despite the fact that he long since been stripped of his body, he still had power.

For a brief second, Zod had his freedom on the primitive planet known as Earth, in the ill equipped vessel known as Lex Luthor. Yet it was the son of Jor-El who banished him back to the Phantom Zone where he lingered until these Dementors showed up. They thought they could feast upon the spirit of Zod but Zod was strongest of them all.

He infused his wraith with that of the Alpha Dementor, for lack of a better term, to gain a form where he could speak with them. All of the Dementors were dutiful little soldiers but like many armies, they lacked a great deal of discipline. They feasted too much on the torment of others instead of merely getting the job done. Zod was for decisive action and thus he wanted everything to turn out for the best.

"Master…."

"No need to be formal two nine five, the term General will be fine," Zod replied in a crisp voice. "Report."

Two Nine Five stated in a rattling voice, his cool and cold breath freezing everything alive in the air around him. "One Nine Two, Three Four Eight, Three One Six, Two Eight Nine, and Zero Five Two all have been destroyed by the Accursed One."

Zod stood high over his minions, he heard the words about the Accursed One and wondered what could inspire such fear among creatures that inspired the greatest fear. If the General had not been among the strongest will of them all, he would have even backed off a little bit. He lost respect for these beings when he saw that they feared this creature, this pathetic weakling of a human being. The Kryptonian General shook his head when he stepped back a little bit and closed his eyes to think.

"How did the Accursed One destroy you?" Zod asked them.

Two Nine Five could not explain that, the Dementor shook his head. He feared what this accursed one would do. They were sent here by the horrible toad woman to make sure the job was vanished. The Dementors could not even stand to be around the horrible toad woman and the love that she showed them caused them to become rather squeamish and if Dementors could hurl, they would in the presence of that woman.

"I'm not sure, my liege," Two Nine Five responded when he looked at him.

"Well you better be certain and you better bring me news that will not lead to your dismantlement," Zod answered, he showed no fear in the face of these weak creatures, as he cracked his knuckles together.

"The son of Jor-El is here," Two Nine Five blurted out when he heard a whisper of his arrival.

"The Son of Jor-El, well this changes much," Zod answered when he crossed his arms when his eyes narrowed and he crossed his hands together. "I no longer need the daughter of Zor-El if the son of Jor-El is present. He will allow us to release our legions upon the planet Earth and we will be able to plunder them. The others that are there, they will be annihilated naturally."

Two Nine Five did not even ask another question, the Dementor rocked back and forth, when he was near his fellow Dementors, the cold green eyes of the accursed one was shown in his memories. That did lead him to a bit of scorn and much ridicule with his fellow Dementors.

"Rally them and grab the interlopers, make sure they do not escape the Phantom Zone," Zod stated when his eyes glowed from behind his disguise with malice. Despite technically being a Dementor there was something about him that inspired far more fear than any of them could realize. The other Dementors shivered in terror when Zod showed up and went before him. "

* * *

"All we need to do is drive those things away and find a way out of here, should be easy, shouldn't it?" Clark asked in what he hoped was an optimistic tone of voice even though his body language and his voice did in fact betray him.

"It's not that simple, it's never that simple," Lois responded despite the fact that she did not see these things, she felt enough of them to realize that they were not messing with anything that she wanted to deal with for more than a little bit. She shook her head and remained calm and crisp, on her feet and ready to go. Lois clenched her fists a little bit.

"It will be okay," Harry responded when he looked at them.

Lois somehow doubted that but she was going to take his word for it, at least for the moment. He seemed to be the Dementors.

"They're all crowding around," Kara managed when she looked at Harry but Lois and Clark both exchanged a glance that ensured that they came to around the same conclusion at about the same time. It was Clark who spun around to face Kara.

"Did you….did you….you didn't see them, did you?"

"I can see them yes, although I'm not sure what is worse," Kara answered, her hand finding her way's in Harry's. "Seeing them and feeling them or not seeing them and feeling them. They feed off of people's emotions."

"What do they look like anyway?" Lois asked, her curiosity getting the better of her.

Harry spun around to face her, a grimace on his face.

"Imagine the worst thing you've ever seen in your life, the most horrific nightmare that you've ever had and multiply it by about ten times. And you've got your Dementors, they cause most people to go mad with despair."

"There is a way to kill them, right?" Lois asked when she looked at Harry.

Harry offered a noncommittal nod, there was a way to kill them indeed, the problem was that it was not an easy thing to kill them, not at all. And he only conjured up enough power to kill them one time and one time alone. The dark haired wizard stepped forward and took a moment to draw in his breath. He still felt them nearby and knew that their leader was likely near as well.

"Zod," Kara whispered to Clark.

"I destroyed him," Clark managed but Kara shook her head.

"No you merely sent him back to the Phantom Zone," Kara answered when she placed a set of hands on her hips and rolled her head back with a slight sigh. "There is a difference between those two things."

"I wish I knew what they were talking about," Lois whispered to Harry in an undertone and Clark shook his head.

She was about ready to chalk up this entire experience to some kind of weird hallucination, where she would wake up in bed after the fact and never mention it again to anyone. Right now that seemed to be the most logical thing in the world to her, at least one that she could hang her hat on.

"We could destroy the Dementors but I'm not sure I could take out that many, if we trick them, we might have a chance," Harry responded but then he shook his head. "The problem is Dementors are not that easily tricked. Deception is not something that they're deceived by."

Harry paused before he saw one of the fluttering robes on the ground beneath his feet and an idea formed around his head. He doubted that this would fool them for that long but maybe just maybe it would confuse the creatures enough to trap them somewhere away from the altar.

"I've got a plan," Harry answered to the three of them, and there were varying stages of apprehension. "If at the very least, we can get Lois and Clark out of there and maybe you too Kara. They're not going to miss taking a free shot at the Accursed One."

"The Accursed One?" Clark asked, curious but at the same time he almost did not want to know.

A smile crossed Harry's face before he spoke with Clark. "Yeah that one is a long story but that's beside the point. Just put these robes on and we'll figure out a way out."

Kara knew that despite what Harry said, she was not leaving without him. After he spent so much undeserved time alone, she did not want to do something like that and just turn around freely. She'd make sure Lois and Clark got out safely but she was staying here with Harry. If it meant destroying the altar after Lois and Clark left, then so be it. No matter what, they were in this together until the bitter end and she would not let him suffer alone for another second longer.

**To Be Continued in the Next Chapter.**


	5. Chapter Four Last One Out

  
**Chapter Four: "Last One Out."**

Deception was one of the elements that was needed as a skill to make survival necessary. People tended to rely on what they believed rather than what they saw and what they heard. Of course, senses could be fooled and that was one of the rules of the Phantom Zone. Expect the unexpected and believe only half of what you see and even then still question it.

They did not know what was going to happen with them until the stepped out of the unknown and took their journey into mystery. The assembled group stood in their disguises, as flimsy and paper thin as they would be but that was the only thing that was keeping the Dementors from attacking them sight unseen. There was magic on the robes that prevented the creatures from jumping in for the attack but their hearts hammered on their chests never the less.

"Is this going to work?"

Harry smiled a little bit, this question was asked but it was hard to give a crystal clear answer. The dark haired wizard placed his hands on his hips when Lois asked the question. To be perfectly honest, it was a question that he considered a lot. The robes were one thing but was there enough of the Dementor aura still on them to fool the monsters?

Kara decided to answer the question for them. "It better work because we're running out of options."

They hoped that they could get out but they needed a plan to herd the Dementors away. The group stood in the distance, the fog kicked up.

"How could you even stand this?" Clark wondered but a smile crossed Harry's face when he looked over his shoulder back at him. He offered one answer in a tone that was curt and crisp.

"You get used to it after a while."

The fact of the matter was that Harry needed to get used to it, otherwise he was going to suffer more than he could ever imagine. He would not want to say that he built up immunity from Dementors because no one could be completely immune to them. Even those who suffered from them the most, they would still feel the chill. The most hardened prisoners cowered in fear.

"How do you get used to it….you must be some kind of glutton for punishment."

Harry thought that this was an accurate statement from Lois and he felt Kara's hand clasp his, squeezing him with a fury that could break every bone in his hand if he was a normal human. He did not bother to correct it; the two of them knew that until the end they were in this together. Lois needed to get sent out first due to her lack of powers. Clark would be next out, and then it would be Kara's turn. Harry would need to stay behind to destroy the exit portal but he was not going to tell Kara this.

They would all be safe and he would remain here.

A part of him wanted to be selfish and be with Kara forever, just so he would have someone to talk to when he was in the Phantom Zone. It was rather boring to be here for his entire life where all of these people attacked him and tried to spill his blood. Although all of these attacks would break up the monotony to say the very least, that was one thing that he could not deny. Still Harry wished….he wished for something more than what he experienced. Even though he knew it was never going to happen.

The life of a young wizard could be a rather lonely one. The dark haired green eyed wizard stood when they approached the cave. He led the way a little bit, being the one who could create the Dementor killing Patronus, he had to be the one to lead the charge. Kara followed behind him, with Lois and Clark beside each other.

Kara stepped beside Harry before she spoke to him in an undertone.

"I know what you're going to do."

Harry raised an eyebrow before he looked at the blonde beside him. "I beg your pardon."

"I know what you're going to do and I won't let you do it."

That was a statement that could lead to a lot of problems between the two of them. Especially given that any argument that they might have would gravely undermine their ability to work together. Kara grabbed Harry's hand tightly, squeezing it, her grip was strong. Yet her hand was soft.

"Before, I forget, these should held shield you slightly, at least from the worst of it," Harry stated handing Lois and Clark amulets. Although he did know that Clark's would restore his powers in time like Kara's did for her.

"Can you get any tackier?" Lois asked when she looked at the design but reluctantly put on the amulet never the less.

Harry turned to her, cocking an eyebrow up. He knew her quips were a defensive mechanism to hide the fact that she was terrified about the entire situation. "Would you prefer to get your soul sucked out?"

Lois clammed up immediately, with a smile crossing her face, and a pained one. She never wanted that, even if a soul was such an abstract concept. "I….no of course not."

Harry's smile remained rather calm before he placed his hands on his hips and he put an ear out to the ground. Kara put an ear out, before she closed her eyes and thought about everything that went on around her. The blonde placed hands on her hips and she craned her neck a little bit.

"They're….I almost hear them," Kara stated when she looked at the group. "I….can kind of understand them."

Clark's expression turned to his cousin's and he was completely confused. "What do you mean you can hear them?"

"I mean that….they're talking, they're using words, they have their own language," Kara whispered when she made sure that the cloak and the hood was fastened so her face was obscured.

Harry thought that such a beautiful face should not be hidden with a hood but he turned his head a little bit when he turned to explain the concept of Dementors having their own language to Clark.

"They do have a language of their own, no human ear has been able to figure it out. It took me years and years of picking up on patterns before I was able to figure out what any of them were saying. It's hard to translate something like that but they have a culture and a language all of them own."

"Fascinating," Lois responded in a dry voice when she looked at Harry.

"It kind of is," Harry responded when he placed his hand on the outside of the cave and he felt the shimmering coldness underneath his fingers. It caused his finger tips to ice over. "These are temperatures that aren't meant to be walked in by human beings, it's like sinking into ice. The robes should protect you, longer than they should, at least."

Harry hoped at least but they were heading into uncharted territory, with the green eyed wizard pressing his hands on him. He closed his eyes when he ran his hands through his air. There would come a time where they had to walk through.

Kara tapped Harry on the elbow which caused him to spin around a bit jumpy. "So…."

"We're ready," Harry responded when he took a step towards the cave, feeling his knee to buckle a little bit. The coldness did not hit him all that hard which he felt pleased at. He crossed his arms and motioned for Kara.

The Dementors surrounded the pedestal, there were hundreds there. Harry tried to keep his mind blank of all emotion, helping Kara, Clark, and Lois keep their minds shielded why he could .It was hard to suppress all human emotion for even if a bit of it seeped through, the Dementors would jump on it like a dog on a bone.

They were close, Harry could see it at the end of the cave, the walls iced over and he felt a slight chill. He tried to keep his mind focused, he would need to blast them, block them, and send the others through the portal.

There was so much that could go wrong with something like this, so much indeed and Harry stepped forward a little bit .He heard the cold rattling breaths of the Dementors and the chatter that they did. He barely listened to what they were really said, they crossed the barrier and Harry prepared himself for the battle, his fingers numb.

Clark sneezed.

That was the worst possible thing that they could do and he was almost to the portal.

One of the Dementors at the head of the line grabbed Clark's robes before he grabbed him and pushed the robe head back.

_'The Son of Jor-El.'_

Zod's head snapped up, Harry and Kara could tell that it was him because his wraith bonded with the biggest and most powerful Dementor there. He turned his head forward and stared down his enemies with sadistic intentions. Even if his face could not be seen, they could tell the cold chill.

'It's time to move,' Harry thought to himself when he clutched his hand and felt the numbness in the palm of his hand but he spun it around before he caused a bright light to appear in the cave and cause the Dementors to recoil in horror.

**"It's the Accursed One!"**

This rattling breath could be heard when the Dementors turned around and advanced upon Harry, which was what he wanted. He met Kara's gaze and he knew that this could be the end, but he could go down.

"You want me, I'm here!" Harry yelled when he blasted several of the Dementors with a bright light, the Patronus Charm filled them with power and caused them to combust in power.

The power filled the Dementors when Harry backed off a little bit, half of a step, maybe more than a half of a step. He could not truly leave until the vast majority of the Dementors were away. He could see that Kara, Clark, and Lois were affected to varying degrees. He could not protect them forever; he wanted to protect them long enough so they could get out of this hell.

"Attack me if you dare!" Harry yelled when he waved his hand, shaking it and he motioned for the Dementors to go after him. The dark haired wizard invited them to go forward and Harry turned around, looking over his shoulder. "Come on Lord Zed, take your best shot!"

He bolted from the caves, with hundreds of Dementors chasing him, most of them drawn away from the cave.

There was one Dementor that remained standing tall and did not follow Harry. He knew that if the accursed one died, he died, but he had far bigger fish to fry, as the human saying went.

_________________________________________________________

Clark walked forward, a frigid feeling going through his fingers but he stood tall. He had a stronger will than he thought, at least he hoped, he had to do this.

"The Son of Jor-El shows himself," Zod responded when he looked at him. "I'm sure you thought of me to trapped without a hope. But once these Dementors were sent through, it broke the bindings that held me and I was set free to roam as I pleased in the Phantom Zone. I bonded with the Alpha Dementor and you see what I am before you. And it will be the last sensation that you will ever see."

Clark understood every word that left Zod's mouth with picture perfect clarity. His ears were not damaged, in fact his hearing was stronger than ever before. Perhaps that would be something that would make all of the difference in the world, perhaps not.

"That still doesn't stop us from leaving here, Zod," Clark answered but the General offered his next statement in a booming declaration.

"I do not wish to stop you Kal-El, rather I wish you to use that blood of yours to open the gateway and set me free."

"What's a Kal-El?" Lois wondered, the longer she stood here in the Phantom Zone, the less she understood. She was still chalking this up to some weird hallucination where she would end up back in bed and pretend that none of this ever happened.

Two of the Dementors that stayed behind grabbed Lois and held her.

"Either activate the gateway ,or this one loses something very important to her," Zod responded, when a third hovered over Lois, his hood about to drop and his mouth a few inches away from hers.

Clark knew better, he knew that once he gave Zod what he wanted, all of their lives were forfeit. He was the type of person who would destroy everyone in his path and killed each and every one of them. The Son of Jor-El stood up straight and proud, his hands feeling the chill but he stood forward.

"He won't let Lois leave, you know that right," Kara whispered to him so only Clark's super hearing could pick up what she was saying.

Clark understood.

"First I wish you to kneel and this time there will be no tricks," Zod responded when he peered down at Clark from underneath the hood. As it turned out, Clark's knees buckling ensured that he had little choice in the matter. "That's it Kal-El, before me, on your knees. Come before me son of Jor-El, kneel before Zod!"

"You know, having an obsession with having other men on their knees before you….well that could be a sign of something," Lois offered when she inclined her head a little bit but she felt the cold fingers of these Dementors clasp around her. "But hey, it's a new time so tolerance…."

Lois shut up immediately when the Dementors closed into her closer and felt their cold rattling breath on her face.

'Tact, learn it,' Kara thought to herself when she shook her head at Lois and Clark kneeled.

She knew that Zod would kill Clark and then use his blood to open up the portal, likely taking her down in the process as well. Kara recalled everything that Harry taught her in these fast few weeks. She ran over all of the lessons through her mind, in painstaking detail.

Would it be enough to take down Zod and his followers?

Likely it would not be but at the same time it would be enough for Kara to delay them long enough to allow Lois and Clark to get out of here. At least that's what she hoped. She had to try, the fate of her bloodline hinged on her success or lack thereof. Her and Kal-El were the last two of a dying race, she had to….she had to fight.

Kara closed her eyes and summoned all of the power to her, before she blasted the two Dementors that held Lois with a Patronus Charm. Granted it was not as strong as Harry's was but it did chase them off and allow her to yank Lois out of their clutches in one fell swoop. The third Dementor went down and then Kara bolted towards Zod, before she did what she could to hold him at bay.

She struggled, fiercely looking at him, biting down on her lip. She nearly drew blood from biting down on her lip so hard, her knees knocked together when she tingled. She felt a burning sensation fill through her spine but she refused to go down. Even if a painful sensation filled the pit of her stomach, she had to try and she had to fight. The blonde clenched her fist together, teeth chattering when she looked forward.

"CLARK GO!"

Kara yelled this statement with intensity and a fierce spirit but Clark paused, hesitating at these words. The urgency echoed through them when she continued to speak.

"Cut yourself on the stone, it will release you from the Phantom Zone, but hurry, I don't know….I don't know how much longer I can hold him back!" Kara yelled when she bit down on her lip.

Clark stopped and paused.

"If you don't want to save yourself, you need to save Lois!"

Kara struggled, her eyes becoming bloodshot and her hands shook when she pushed her enemy back, her knees shaking and knocking together, frustration mounting in the back of her head. The blonde shook her head a little bit when she felt a twisting sensation in her stomach.

"Kara, I'm not leaving you behind."

"I'll always be with you Clark, where it counts even if I'm there but you got to go now!" Kara yelled when she pushed Zod into the wall and tried to seal him inside, using an overlapping Patronus charm.

Clark reached his hand and did as Kara asked, scraped his hand across the edge of the pedestal. He grabbed Lois and they hung on, before they disappeared into a flash of light.

They were gone and Zod busted out but the portal could still be activated before Clark's blood completely dried.

Kara turned her head and aimed her heat vision, before she destroyed the pedestal to turn it into dust with one expert attack. She could tell that Zod became horrified by the fact that she destroyed his ticket out of there and hers out of there. The dust particles dropped to the ground completely useless but with the satisfaction that Lois and Clark were safe again.

"Do you realize what you've done?"

Zod hissed this statement.

"Yes, I do,' Kara responded, feeling better that Clark and Lois were safely out of the Phantom Zone and back on Earth. She was pretty sure that nothing followed them through, at least they were.

Zod advanced on Kara, intent to kill her.

Another blur shot into the cave, returning and knocked Zod hard into the wall. A blinding white lot nailed Zod with all of the fury that he could.

A bloody and battered Harry Potter returned to the caves and Kara watched him, when he engaged Zod in battle.

"You will kneel," Zod breathed.

"I don't think so, Zed," Harry responded with intensity flashing in his emerald orbs when he shook his head, a smile crossing his face.

"ZOD!"

Harry shrugged his shoulders, he didn't really care about the claims of self-important Generals or feed their egos. The fact of the matter was that Zod tried to take a shot at someone that he intended to protect. Perhaps that was just Harry but he did not take that too kindly. Now he was going to have to pay.

The blonde watched Harry, she could tell that he seen better days but he refused to go down. That type of valor was encouraging and kind of frustrating to be honest. She wished that he would allow himself more concern about his own health, but she supposed that could not be helped.

"It's over, Zed!" Harry yelled when he summoned the full force of his power and contained the wraith. He hoped this particular spell would work.

It would destroy Zod but would it help him? That was what he wanted to know. He looked at Kara's encouraging face, the concern burning through her bright blue eyes. Harry needed to win this day, for her, so no one would harm her again. He was perfectly aware that she destroyed the portal and the only way out.

If he died, he would take Zod with him. He was strong; Harry would most certainly do this. There was no question about it, what he was doing. He felt his hands twitch and then go numb with what flickered through him. He tried not to come apart but it was hard, oh boy was it ever hard. His knees knocked together before his eyes flashed together and his heart beat against his chest quickly.

Harry Potter would not break, no that would be the coward's way out and the easy way out. Something that he did not take, no matter what because when the going got tough, that was when he excelled and that was when he pushed himself harder than what was honestly sane. His heart sped up a little bit faster and his breath hitched into himself.

He had to do this; there was a lot at stake.

His breath continued to pick up the pace a little bit and his head shook with his mouth twitch when his eye twitched a little bit. He breathed in and out when his stomach turned and twisted, placing a hand to his heart when it beat steadily and slightly.

"Harry!" Kara yelled, hoping that he would hear her, somehow or some way. The blonde hovered over Harry, a frustrated expression in her eyes. She felt a bit panicked when a blast of light erupted in Zod.

The form of Zod combusted in a bright light when Harry ripped him from the Alpha Dementor and then he destroyed said Dementor with a blinding light. His knees buckled, knocking together a little bit at a time, his heart speeding up with each passing motion. He could barely keep it together but he had to, he really had to.

Kara bit her lip when she watched Harry, there was so much that could go wrong with this and she feared that he would come undone with his own attacks. She never saw much of magic and most certainly not this much magic at once. The aura that pulsed from Harry was kind of alarming and it caused her heart to flutter a little bit, her eyes to widen in fear and she hoped that this would not kill him.

"Harry!" Kara yelled once again, she clutched her hands together and then placed them on her forehead. A pair of Dementors tried to enter but she turned and focused on them. If Harry could do it, she could most certainly do this. She blasted the Dementors hard with her attack, banishing them backwards.

Harry closed his eyes tightly, his eyes flashing with fury, his heart beating on the inside of his chest, and rocking back and forth. He was almost there, he was parting the Alpha Dementor from Zod, he could feel it. His skin felt clammy with he poured a little bit of himself into the attack. Zod extended forward, his knees nervously shaking and the palms were sweaty, cold almost. His eyes flickered a little bit when his teeth chattered alarmingly and he tried to keep up the attack, knowing that he was getting closer.

"NO!"

That screamed and strangled yell came from Zod when Harry pushed into the attack, his elbows twisting and his eyes widened, blood shot and he continued to stare forward. He almost was done, Harry knew it, Zod knew it, and even Kara knew it. The remaining Dementors backed off from the blinding flash of light.

The light shot from the cave and engulfed them all, before they disappeared.

Harry staggered a little bit before he dropped to the ground, not before Zod propelled backwards, he was not coming back around. At least he would get a very long trip before he turned. The dark haired wizard flickered forward, his green eyes widened and dilated.

Kara looked scared when she saw the dilated pupils of Harry, his eyes widened from that.

"HARRY!" Kara yelled when she grabbed him and tried to push him up. Her voice was shaking a little bit. "Please….please speak to me, okay, you….you didn't have to do that."

Harry's head barely was able to nod and she looked at him. Two sets of eyes before the mage found it in himself to speak.

"I….is he gone?" Harry asked Kara when he looked at the blonde and she nodded a bit, biting her lip when she did so. Yet she confirmed Harry's thoughts that he destroyed Zod. "He's….if I banished him, he won't be returning back for a while."

Now that Kara was happy that her friend was okay, she looked at him. The fact that she spent all of these weeks with him meant a lot to her, she had time to grow rather close to him. Her eyes snapped towards Harry and her lip curled into a frown.

"Harry, you do realize that what you just did in there was reckless, don't you?" Kara asked, trying not to keep her voice too accusatory. "You could have….do you not….I mean, I don't want to see anything happen to you."

"I'm not….it doesn't matter if anything happens to me," Harry answered to her.

Kara's temper triggered by this statement.

"It doesn't matter what happens to you….DO YOU REALIZE HOW STUPID THAT SOUNDS? I mean seriously Harry, do you not think that you mean anything, to anyone. If you think….if you think that, you must be….you must be further disconnected just like everything else in here more so than I believed."

Harry's face twisted into a slight smile and it was a sad one.

"I don't mean anything to anyone," Harry responded when he looked at Kara.

Kara shook her head violently and grabbed Harry slightly by his shirt. "You mean a lot to me and I'm not going to let you wither in here because you've been tricked into believing that you deserve being sentenced to this place."

"You actually believed everything that I say at face value don't you?" Harry asked Kara.

Kara nodded her head. "I can see it through your eyes but your words aren't enough, I can see it through the actions that you do. No one who was in there for reasons they deserved would selflessly do so much to protect the others. You….you took on all of those Dementors to make sure that I got Lois and Clark out of here."

"It wasn't much," Harry offered with a shrug.

Kara looked back at Harry. "It was a lot….it was your soul that was on the line."

Harry conceded that she might have had a point, just a small one.

"Kara, I swear we'll get out of here, somehow, some way," Harry told her when he clasped her hand and she believed him when she looked into his eyes.

Kara relaxed her stance a little bit.

"In fact, there's nothing stopping us from taking the portal out of here right now. There's nothing around for miles, I checked. I could feel it. We cleared the Dementors out."

Kara shifted nervously and Harry could not deny that she looked rather cute when she was nervous. "Um….there's a problem, you see, once I sent Lois and Clark out of here…."

Kara closed her eyes for a moment before she looked at Harry, hoping that he would be able to forgive her with what she was about to say. Patiently Harry stood before her and waited for her to regain her bearings. This was much appreciated as Kara took a long time to get back to it but then she spat out the rest of what she had to say.

"I destroyed the portal, so we're kind of stuck in here."

Harry blinked for a moment.

"Oh."

Kara was confused and decided to voice this point. "Oh….is that all that you can say at this point, oh?"

Harry offered a smile at her, and Kara now felt annoyed at this and had no idea why.

"Does anything ever faze you?"

"Your beauty, it fazes me a lot," Harry answered when he placed a hand on Kara's waist for a little bit. She did not recoil or stand back, she allowed him to place his hand on her bare flesh and it sent shivers going down her smile. "But….you see, with magic, I can repair it even if you shattered it into a million microscopic dust particles."

Kara's head snapped up and realization hit her, that did not really come to her until now but she supposed that it was true. She knew magic was capable of a lot and Harry barely scrapped the surface. Maybe when they got out of the Phantom Zone, they would be able to continue their training. The blonde Kryptonian was very much willing to learn more and she had to admit that Harry was a very captivating teacher that was worthy of all of the attention that she could give him.

Harry meanwhile looked where the altar once stood, he had to admit, he saw much better in the past. And he saw a lot worst as well, when he looked over every single inch of the altar. His face turned around when he waved his hand over the dust particles that rested on the floor and it slowly vibrated back to life. He hoped that he could get every single piece of the altar reconstructed so they can find their way out of there.

He concentrated hard and to her credit, Kara kept her lips firmly sealed. She understood without him saying anything that this was a delicate procedure. If Harry botched even one bit of this magic, it was all over. The dark haired wizard waited when each bit of the altar constructed together He repaired it when Kara blew it into smithereens but magic could do anything. It made the impossible very possible.

Harry turned a little bit when the altar glowed before them. He turned around to Kara, who had a bright smile on her face. "So is that the way it should be?"

Kara eyed the altar with an appraising look.

"Yes it is," Kara agreed with a smile, admiring the job that Harry did on the altar. It was exactly right. "You're amazing Harry, you know that."

"I'm glad to see you think so highly of that," Harry responded but then Kara, without warning and without preamble, rushed forward and threw her arms around Harry with a tight hug, pulling his body into hers.

Harry felt the warmth that two of their bodies connecting offered; the weeks they spent inside the Phantom Zone fighting for their lives forged a strong bond that the two of them shared. The two leaned together; they half expected something to interrupt this tender moment.

No interruption came and their lips met together in a searing kiss.

Kara' s mind went on total lockdown, on an impulse she kissed him and he kissed her back. Now his strong arms wrapped around her, pulling her in tight, and gave her a sense of safety and security. The blonde recoiled in his arm a little bit, opening her mouth, allowing him to probe his tongue in a little bit. She matched his motions, the two of them moaning into a deep kiss. Tentatively, she ran her hands over his body.

Harry thought about this and was going to make the most of this opportunity. He kissed Kara like he never kissed another person, human or otherwise before. All of the girls he kissed before her, they lacked meaning. They were just something to pass the time really until something stronger came along and that something stronger was currently in his arms, kissing him back. The two met with passion and intensity, their tongues dancing with each other.

The two continued the kiss for several moments.

"Amazing," Kara breathed when she looked at Harry, she decided to push him against the cave wall and kiss him once again.

If an army of horrible monsters came and slaughtered them right now and then, at least they would die happy. Both of them, they were lost in each other's passions, their limbs tangling in each other. Their heart beats elevated when they felt their bodies pressed against other. Each believed the other to be the pinnacle of the opposite sex and both found an attraction to each other but it was much more than that.

A certain amount of trust established itself when they fought for their lives in this hellish prison over the past number of weeks, almost a month, maybe two. They didn't know, all they knew right now where they found some comfort with each other, running their hands over each other when their lips met.

Kara ran her hands through Harry's hair, she could do it for hours, making is already messy hair even messier. The two kissed for a very long time, lost in the moment and enjoying the taste of each other's lips. They pulled apart from each other.

"We've got the portal fixed, let's get out of here," Kara answered when she looked back at Harry, peering over her shoulder.

"Your chariot awaits, my lady," Harry when he grabbed her hand and gave it a small kiss, which she giggled at.

Kara nicked her finger to draw the necessary blood to activate the portal. It began to glow and engulf them in the light and they held hands. They were drawn from the Phantom Zone.

Back to Earth?

Well not quite.

**To Be Continued in the Next Chapter.**   


 


	6. That Place We Were Sent

**Chapter Five: "That Place We Landed."**

The dust cleared when the two exited the Phantom Zone and it was one of those good news, bad news situations. The good news was that they were out of the Phantom Zone and by all indications no one appeared to follow them. That was always good news; in fact one could argue that might be the best news of them all. The young dark haired wizard stood beside the blonde Kryptonian and they got a good look around at their surroundings.

The bad news was that he honestly had no idea where he was but thankfully Kara did, judging by the smile and look of recognition that crossed her face. The beautiful blonde took a long and appraising look around the crystal towers, soaking in the structures with her eyes before she spun around on her heel. The smile on her face was dazzling as her eyes.

"Welcome to Krypton, Harry."

This was a bit of news that surprised Harry and his expression turned towards her a little bit, before he offered one single question and he hoped that Kara could allow him the answer that he needed for it. His face crossed into a frown when he crossed his arms and he decided to speak an obvious statement.

"No offense, but didn't Krypton die?"

Kara smiled, that was actually a wise statement and she wondered if they had been sent to some alternate dimension where Krypton did not blow up.

"It blew up, according to Kal-El," Kara responded, actually she was there when it was about ready to destroy, twice even and she was sent to the Phantom Zone by Brainiac the second time around. Then she met Harry but naturally that was nothing that she had to go around. "This is….it seems so peaceful now, I can't believe this."

Kara mulled over the situation in her mind and came to only one conclusion when she continued to walk around to get a full assessment of her surroundings. There was no telling where she was but it was the when she was that was the problem; that was the thought that passed through her mind when she grasped his hand and the two of them continued to walk past the crystal structures. There was no mistaking about it, they were in Kandor.

Kandor before it got blown up the first time and restored shortly before she was born, she mentally noted.

"This is Kandor, the capital city of Krypton, this is….was my home," Kara whispered when she looked at Harry before she turned towards him and they met their gaze. "I….I'm not sure if we are still in the present or not. The Phantom Zone people did say something about it still existing, but it's kind of restored. I wonder what happened to it, it doesn't seem like….well it's not like we'll know until we take a poke around."

Harry looked around, impressed by what was before him. This was far more impressive than any place that he had ever been on Earth and then there was a quality about it and that was it was home, home was where the heart was. He wondered if he actually finally found a place where he belonged.

"How did Krypton get destroyed anyway?" Harry asked her, he wanted to know this because let's face it, planets did not just blow up. At least they did not blow up without a good reason, and his eyes were firmly on Kara to wait for the answer.

"The core of this planet, well it saw better days but it would have held for maybe fifteen or twenty more years, unless….well my father decided to take it upon himself to escalate the planet's destruction. He wasn't one to wait around and be patient for anything. He thought that he would fulfill some prophecy, the Prophecy of Rao. It's a long story, it's about two Kryptonians who would repopulation a planet and make it a New Krypton."

Harry didn't say anything but after all that he went through; he really, really, hated prophecies. They never ended up well, mostly because of the idiots that took them as the gospel truth.

Kara and Harry stepped forward a little bit to make their way into the city of Kandor, both of them looking on with wide eyes, albeit both of them looked on with wide eyes for extremely different reasons. Kara missed her home in many ways, not that she said it out loud and Harry was impressed with everything around him. Call him crazy but this was quite frankly kind of amazing. The young green eyed hero thought about everything he saw and was a bit struck with the amazement.

He thought about the first time he walked around Diagon Alley and he thought that was amazing. In hindsight, it was kind of dull and lifeless, like most of everything else in that world, which was amazing when one thought about it. Given that they had magic to spice things up, one could think that they could make things that were far more spectacular than they ended up being. Then again there were people in that world that lacked the aspect of having an imagination.

Harry shook his head when he walked next to Kara, that much was proven when there were wooden sticks that they were needed to perform magic. The more Harry thought about it in the Phantom Zone, wands helped train the raw magic but were not needed past a certain point. They should have served as training wheels to allow people to use magic but for some reason, people decided to throw them away. He figured that was because of how the Ministry was, they wanted to control everything and any innovation or thinking outside the box was discouraged by Umbridge and her thought police.

Kara stopped and looked at a billboard, her eyes studying it intently.

Harry noticed this and saw the strange symbols on it, trying to make heads or tails out of everything that he read. The writing was something that he did not understand, although given time and motivation, he suspected that it would not be too hard to piece everything together. At least he hoped that it would not be too hard to piece everything together. He grabbed Kara's hand and turned towards her.

"So, that's your language, I take it?"

Kara nodded her head in response. "Well, I think we've found out where we are. We're in….well the Krypton calendar is kind of different but if we line it up with your Earth years; we should be in the year 1961 or 1962, somewhere around there. I wasn't even born yet and I'd imagine that you weren't either."

Harry shook his head, no he was not born yet, but he did smile a little bit when he thought about the situation at hand.

"And Krypton is over twenty years from being destroyed," Kara responded when she crossed her arms and walked forward on the ground. The blonde took a moment to read the billboard. "Not much has changed, well except for some of these buildings going down because of a civil war, of course this city gets destroyed about five years from now and they rebuilt it in less than a year. It's amazing, that tower was beautiful, and now they'll be turned into dust, a shame really."

Kara paused before she asked a question of Harry that had been going over in her mind.

"Harry, do you think….since we're here, we could save Krypton?"

That was a deep question that Harry did not know the answer to but he did understand that any meddling with time was risky business. One could argue that it was next to impossible to change the past, at least that's what he heard.

On the other hand, what they went through was unprecedented; they popped out of this Phantom Zone Dimension and into the past. Harry did wonder if Lois and Clark were sent back to the right time. His magic combined with the Kryptonian technology and a subliminal desire to be as far away from his world as possible led to them showing up on the planet Krypton in the past that much was for sure. Plus he figured that Kara's desire to return home also played into this, he could pick it up how her eyes lit up when she talked about her time on that planet, at least before it exploded.

"Kara….I don't know," Harry responded when he wrapped his arms around her and stared into her eyes. "I….we'd be kind of foolish not to try but at the same time, it's going to be hard because sometimes things are set in stone in the past. What I'm worried about is when you're born on this planet."

Kara did not think about that, would she disappear into nothingness? Yet, there had to be some reason why they were sent from the Phantom Zone to Krypton of the past but she was trying hard to figure out what that reason would be. The blonde cleared her mind of all thoughts, when she looked up at Harry, her eyes looking into his. She rested her head on his chest a little bit, when they stood on the streets of Kandor. The crystal structures flickered and there was a cool breeze going around them.

"So….now what?"

Harry shook his head, before he grabbed Kara's head and tilted it back, before he captured her lips into a kiss. Kara returned the kiss; it actually eased her nerves a little bit and made her think more clearly. Or at least make her focus more on the worry that despite being here, any attempt to save Krypton's destruction would be all for nothing because it was fate that Krypton would explode. The two continued their kiss but Harry offered a theory that he remembered reading about time travel.

"We could have ended up in an alternate time stream as well."

"Hmm."

Harry decided to explain this to Kara. "Time travel, technically speaking, you can't change anything about the timeline you are in, it has to already happen. It is some quirk in time-space that prevents temporal paradoxes. However, if someone goes back in time, it creates a branch on the time tree. We go down a different path and make different decisions, but it's not our native timeline. That might prevent two different versions of us from existing to be honest with you but again, it's uncharted waters. Tails of time travel have been around, many theories, but I don't know how much of it is true. Mostly, it's guesswork."

Kara nodded her head, she understood it perfectly, and it made sense. She branched off of her native timeline, never to return back to it again. She only had the solitude of knowing that Lois and Clark made it safely back home but now they were in uncharted waters. For all intents and purposes, Kara and Harry disappeared out of that timeline and went into this one off to the side. Exactly where they would go from here, she had no idea.

"C'mon, my family, they have an estate somewhere close to here."

Kara did not understand why, but she wanted to see a glimpse of it, she figured that around this time, her grandfather ran the estate. He died when she was very young of a disease that robbed him of his intelligence and made him unable to remember basic information like dates or even his own name. It was kind of frustrating to see such an intelligent man have his intelligence stripped away like that and be unable to take care of himself.

Sure enough, Kara and Harry peered in the window, with an indivisibility charm being used so no one could see them. Kara saw a glimpse of her father, he was in his late teenage years at this point and then she saw Jor-El. Her grandfather stood, tall and she could not believe how cold he was. Could he be the reason why the brothers had a fractured relationship in later years, or at least part of the reason?

Kara did not really have any time to think about it, although the glimpse into the past was something that she appreciated. Harry stood next to her, the two of them smiling when they stood next to each other.

"So now what?" Harry whispered to Kara.

"There's some kind of convention downtown, the Kandorian Academy is bringing out a new invention with their top student….no way!" Kara breathed when she read the statement on the newspaper she picked up, brimming with excitement when she did.

"What is it?" Harry asked, but Kara grabbed Harry by the hand and sped him off.

"I'll explain later, but…..I don't know, this is amazing."

Now Harry found himself curious about what was so amazing and hoped that Kara would tell him in due time. Now they made their way off to see this convention and what Kara had in mind. The blonde seemed rather excited and Harry could not spit out two words to ask her what was up. She dragged Harry halfway across the city with her super speed, before they reached the convention, getting in easily thanks to the fact that they were invisible and could sneak past the guards.

Magic could be useful sometimes, Harry reasoned.

* * *

A young cadet of the Kandorian army named Zod stood in the background, he had great expectations and one day he would not be the one kneeling before his commanding officer. Rather, he would make other men kneel before him but now he was off basic training and watching the press conference like the rest of the planet. Whether they were watching through the Kryptonian Broadcast System or in person, it did not matter. All Zod knew was he was here and he was interested at what this discovery was. The press conference would change the world and it would be changed for the better.

Zod wished to be in the center of that change.

Kara watched excitedly when Harry stood next to her. He had to admit, his girlfriend's excitement was contagious, even though he had not the slightest clue what she was excited about. He suspected that he would find out all too soon. The green eyes of Harry Potter shimmered with thoughts of what was on the line. The young man stood firmly on the ground beside Kara and turned his head towards her.

"One of the top students of her year at the Kandorian Academy, to discuss a revolutionary breakthrough of science and technology, that will revolutionize the Kryptonian race, please welcome, Alura In-Ze."

Harry watched the young woman walk on the stage and curiosity filled him. She looked like she could be the spitting image of Kara, she had the same blonde hair, the same beautiful blue eyes, and lovely figure, the only difference was that she had her hair tied back a little bit and she wore glasses. Other than that, she could be the spitting image of Kara, standing them side by side, they could be twin sisters.

"Kara is that…."

"Yeah, that's my mother," Kara whispered when she looked at Harry with a bright smile before turning back towards her mother. "She died….when I was young, I could barely remember her other than pictures."

"Mine too," Harry stated, when he locked arms with Kara and the couple smiled when they watched Alura make her way to the stage.

Alura bit her lip a bit nervously, she had to be honest with herself, she was worried about how this advance would be perceived. And worried about how people would interpret its aptitude. She only made this public because it would get her the credits she needed to graduate. It was completely by accident that she discovered this; an accident with a transporter device brought her to an alien planet underneath a yellow sun. Underneath the yellow sun, she received extraordinary powers, that caused her to run faster, jump higher, hear better, and shoot beams of heat out of her eyes.

The funny thing about it was that if she would have heard about it, she would have assumed that it was witchcraft. Which was funny given the other powers that she was hiding, because of how they were forbidden on Krypton, not she had much of a chance to practice them anyway. Magic was an interesting thing but she had to practice it in secret what little chance she had to do so, otherwise she would be locked up by those who did not understand her. Everyone did not understand everything. All of her children would receive the gifts likely, although she would have to take measures to protect them, only to make sure their powers only came out when they met someone who would understand them.

"How would you like it if you had powers beyond your wildest dreams?"

Alura said this statement and everyone looked interested but skeptical all of the while. She supposed that she could not blame them. Had she been on the other side of this situation, she would have been skeptical as well. Be that as it may, Alura pressed forward with her findings.

"A few momnths ago, I made my way to a planet with a yellow sun as opposed to the red sun on that of Krypton. I'll be honest with you, it was tricky to deal with everything and adapt, even if the natives were friendly. At least they didn't want to attack me for what I was, so I suppose they might be considered friends of the Kryptonian race. But despite that fact, I made it to that planet and allow me to demonstrate what I did."

Alura wore on her neck a necklace that could filter the red solar radiation into yellow. She closed her eyes and she zoomed from one end of the lab, to the other end of the lab.

"I'll also tell you that the Kandorian military representative in the front row is wearing underwear with little hearts on them," Alura stated when she focused her X-Ray vision on the man in question who shifted in an uncomfortable manner while they laughed. "And I can do…well I can do this, you see."

Alura lit the candles on the table with her heat vision and got applause when she did that.

Kara smiled; her mother was the one that stumbled on the theory that yellow solar radiation gave Kryptonian super powers. Of course, there seemed to be one power that she did not have or perhaps that she was not exhibiting and that was the power of flight.

"I also believe that the yellow sun will have healing abilities that will cure any disease or ailment for a Kryptonian," Alura responded when she looked at the crowd who applauded. "I believe that we can create a yellow solar generator and revolutionize Kryptonian medicine, stamping out disease in the next five years."

"And what of our enemies?"

Kara heard the voice well, that was the voice of her father, Zor-El, who popped up at this moment. Alura regarded Zor-El only with the barest amounts of interest. She politely nodded and made a motion for him to continue.

"We could use these powers to crush them and prove the superiority of the Kryptonian race over all others," Zor-El responded when he looked at the Kandorian Army Representatives who nodded. "We could be mighty beyond all, no one would oppose us."

Alura frowned, that was not how she intended her find to be used at all. She wanted to use these powers to help Krypton, not enable them to hurt their enemies. She turned around and consulted her notes; she understood that there were fail safes involved. Radioactive chunks of the Kryptonian core tinted green could bring super powered Kryptonians to their knees and radioactive chunks of the planets core turned blue could strip them of their powers temporarily. Red had the interesting effect of acting as a super powered drug that would drastically alter the brain chemistry of any super powered Kryptonian who came in contact with it.

"No, Zor-El, this technology should be used to benefit Krypton and bring us closer together."

Jor-El was the one that spoke up in turn and his younger brother turned towards him, eyes narrowed. It would be just like Jor-El to speak out in turn and add his own idealistic spin to the actions. Then again, he was always their father's favorite, while Zor-El was treated like the lesser of the two. It was always Jor-El and his scientific achievements and it was hard to throw away that level of that resentment.

The man himself, he knew of the effects of the yellow sun years ago but he did not make his findings public. He hoped that Alura did not open the door to something dangerous by doing so. She would forever be credited as the person making that discovery, for better or for worse.

Alura bit her lip a little bit, to be honest, she had her reservations for putting this technology out on the table in the first place. It was one of those times where she had some serious doubts about whether or not it could work. She shared it with her mentor at the academy who convinced her to share it and hinted that it could allow her the credit for an early graduation, not to mention opening doors that she might not have access to otherwise.

With opening those doors, she could very much open up a Pandora's Box and she understood that Kryptons, despite the fact they thought themselves to be stoic, could be very emotional and very irrational when they wanted to be. She could not lie to herself when she said that she would be like this as well. Her emotions got the better of her at times as well. The blonde blew her hair out from in front of her face and nervously chewed on her lip a little bit but her eyes blinked a little bit.

"The technology as it was, it's not fine-tuned yet and without more experimentation, we won't figure out what the consequences would be long term," Alura warned everyone when she decided to add on. "Both on a physical manner and an emotional manner as well, it hasn't been properly determined what the long term effects of yellow sunlight could do."

The brainy blonde hoped that would convey to them the dangers of what they were trying to do but her race could be a stubborn lot when they wanted to be. That reflected in the next few answers they were given. Alura rocked back slightly and heard these statements echo in her ears next, fearing that would happen.

"Nonsense, we could test it on the field, through training, there is no reason why Kryptonians shouldn't be their very best."

Alura decided to throw the ace up her sleeve she had.

"Any permission to use this technology will have to be done by me and I refuse to sign it over for military applications. I hold the patents after all. Especially when the intention is to lord over the people of other planets and the people of this planet, to satisfy some desire for Kryptonian superiority. You'll find that the pioneering technology for the yellow solar simulator is in my name and I'm the only one who has the ideas to make it work. So you're out of luck if you want to use this as a tool for war."

Kara smiled, she trained with her powers before coming to Earth under a yellow solar energy simulator but she assumed that her father was the one that invented that particular object. Or at least that was the assumption that her father allowed her to have. Now upon further review, that was her mother's little invention and Kara could see how resourceful her mother was. It made her death absolutely more tragic.

And half made Kara wonder if her mother's death had to do with people trying to get their hands on her inventions.

"Perhaps we should discuss this matter, over dinner," Zor-El responded, with a calculating smile on his face.

Alura smiled, she knew his game by now and refused to be drawn into it. "No, I'm afraid not Zor-El, while I find your attempts to continue to ask me out interesting and amusing at some cases, this is not the time nor the place for them. And my answer would still remain the same as it always had."

Zor-El grimaced.

Zod meanwhile looked intrigued and saw this brilliant young woman for what she was, an asset that could allow him to rise up the ranks of the Kandorian Army. He was barely fit for scrubbing the armor of his superior officers at this present moment but if he convinced her to allow him access to this yellow solar technology, he would be a pioneer and would rise up the ranks, with the people browbeating him answering to him. All shall kneel before Zod.

All he needed was to formulate a disaster where she would need saving and he would look the hero. Thankfully plans were already in motion in his mind, despite being a young Cadet wet around the ears, Zod had a strong mind. He promised to find a way to win the favor of this brilliant science prodigy and use her technology to make the army of Kandor invincible, crushing all of their enemies.

Jor-El meanwhile was intrigued by this technology; he felt that it could benefit people in the long run. Of course he feared that such a power could potentially go to the head of people without a strong moral grounding. He was not sure where he got this inspiration but he believed that with great power there needed to be a certain amount of responsibility yielded. And the greed exhibited by his brother, along with several members of the Kandorian army and a few of the other scientists alarmed Jor-El. Perhaps he could work with Alura to make sure the technology was safe guarded and did not fall into hands that would misuse it.

Kara smiled when she watched her mother field questions. By all indications, her mother was intelligent, but she had no idea that she was this bright. It was endearing to see her mother and Kara wished to speak to her, really for the first time.

"I can see where you get your brains and your beauty," Harry responded when he looked from Alura to Zor-El. "Because it's most certainly not from your father's side of the family."

"No, Jor-El is fine, a bit arrogant at times, but most geniuses are," Kara responded when she looked back at Harry. "Although he isn't too bad here, but I guess….I don't know."

Kara knew what her father was but this was the past. What happened yet did not happen and she saw the bright expression on her mother's face. She was so full of life and optimism; she died when Kara was three years old. Her father did not keep pictures of her around, and Kara figured that was because there were too many bad memories. However, she wondered in the back of her mind if there was a different reason.

* * *

Alura left the conference, frustration flickering through her eyes. She thought that things could have gone better but if she got through to one person with her words and changed the world, than it would be for the better. The blonde science prodigy understood that better than anyone else and she kept walking, picking up the pace and a more fluid tempo when her strides increased and she continued to walk.

A group approached her from behind, which allowed Alura to remain alert and focused.

"We wish to have a word with you."

Several muscled goons walked towards Alura and crowded in her personal space.

"Sorry, press conference is over," Alura responded when she stepped to the side, when one of them grabbed her by the arm. "Let go of me you…."

Alura decided that actions spoke louder than words and she kicked her would be captor in the shin. Unfortunately the necklace she wore only worked for a short time and her powers burned out a long time ago. So while she would have liked to super speed out of here it was not going to happen. The blonde found herself in the arms of several large men and she struggled to get free of them.

"We won't hurt you, just tell us where you're keeping the prototype for your little solar energy simulator," one of the goons stated when he twisted Alura's arm when she struggled out.

"Someone put you up to this," Alura responded when she looked at them before she added in a crisp voice. "And I'll spell this out for you simpletons in small words that you should hopefully be able to understand. No, let me go."

Alura knew that was not going to happen, she was still in the tight grip of her captors and they held her. She kicked her feet a little bit, her heart beat steadily against her chest but she refused to break out at any time. The blonde scientist thought that there could potentially be a more dangerous situation if she put her mind to it. Although to be fair she struggled to think of one as her heart beat against her rib cage faster and faster yet.

Kara and Harry exited the science exhibit, smiles on their faces but then they stopped. The young wizard turned his head towards Kara, who saw her mother struggle against the grip of her would be captors. The blonde stood for only a second and she was not going to let this one go.

Like a blur, Kara shot forward and with a crack, her fist knocked one of the captors in the face, causing him to fly backwards. He landed hard against a crystal tower with a crack, his blood spilling against the magnificent structure. One of the goons did not see her, as she sped around and they tried to attack her. The two goons knocked each other out, cracking their fists against their faces. They dropped down to the ground, completely out of it.

Alura watched with wide eyes, it seemed like she was not the only person on this planet to figure out how to harness the red sun and filter it into yellow rays. Although this girl, whoever, she was, she was amazing. The scientist could not get a clear shot on who was saving her but she was happy at the rescue never the less. The blonde zipped around when she tripped her enemies one at a time, knocking them down.

Harry offered his own contribution to the attack and sent them flying backwards, before he locked hands with Kara and they flew away. The charms worked as Alura did not seem to see her face but she looked up towards her saviors, a million questions going through her mind.

"Wait, don't leave yet!"

Alura walked up to the side of the building, wishing she could climb up. She had not harnessed the power of flight yet and was wondering how they pulled it off. The blonde scientist looked up at them with wide eyes.

"I want to thank you um….I don't even know who you are."

Kara wondered what to say.

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you."

Alura smiled. "Trust me, with the imagination that I have, there's no limit to what I believe."

"How do we know you'll even believe us or we can even trust you?"

Harry decided to stand on the side of carefulness and Kara turned to him, before whispering in his ear. It was only if that Harry and Kara could hear it with their enhanced super hearing with the the blonde whispering in his ear.

"I believe we can trust my mother."

Harry hoped so, she did seem to be more trustworthy, while Zor-El looked a bit shifty. He was going to trust his gut and hoped that this time it would not steer his wrong. Nine times out of ten, his instincts did not steer him wrong.

"How about you meet me away from prying eyes?" Alura suggested to the pair of them, when she squinted to try and get a look at their faces. Yet it was easier said than done, there was some mysterious force that was blocking her sight from properly seeing her faces.

She wondered if it was some kind of magical spell.

"That would be great," Harry responded and Kara nodded in agreement.

"How about the In-Ze estate, do you know where that is?"

"Yeah, I know where it is," Kara answered, she never stepped one foot inside. The grandparents on her mother's side died a long time ago but she found out where it was to visit their graves, much to her father's disapproval as she remembered rightly.

"Great, you're amazing….like some kind of Supergirl or something."

Kara smiled, she had her first fan and it was her mother.

"And you're amazing too, I'm wondering….well we'll talk about it, the three of us."

"See you later," Harry responded with a smile that she caught.

"Yeah….stay save out there M…Alura," Kara answered when she looked at her with a bright smile, even though Alura could not quite see it.

"I will," Alura responded when she looked at them before she turned around. Her scientific curiosity was bubbling over, they figured out how to fly, that was the one power that she could not quite get right. Alura turned around to walk off, hoping that they would meet her later. She supposed that there was no reason why they would not but there was also no reason why they would even meet her.

She could only wait and see.

**To Be Continued in the Next Chapter.**


	7. Saving the Future

**Chapter Six: "Saving the Future."**

Alura waited, her eyes shut and hoping for the two people she invited to come to visit her actually would visit her. There was no telling if they would even stop by for a visit even if they promised that they would .After all, why would they? She was a lowly student in the field of genetics on Krypton and they were….well there was no better term to describe them then super heroes. They were strong and they were bold, Alura felt intimidated by their very presence. Her heart fluttered slightly at the thought that she might be able to speak to them.

Yet, she needed to remain there and remain calm. They were coming, she had to remain confident about that. Alura waited, impatiently some might say, but she waited never the less and cocked an eyebrow when she waited. She was dressed in her best robes, white and red, flowing down, conservative and stylish at the same time. She was proud of her body but at the same time she was intimidated.

"We're here."

Alura stopped, turned, and stared, her heart began to beat steadily against her chest. She could hardly believe that they came here, yet they were here. She saw them up close and person at first and she shook her head to clear the cobwebs.

They were powerful.

She must not lose her focus.

The young man had long black hair that had a messy quality that was very distracting. That hair was topped off by the emerald green orbs that looked back at her; it was like he was staring into her very soul. Alura gave a bit of a start when she pulled herself away from them; she must stay focused no matter what. Even if she felt herself appreciating him a little too much. She shook her head slightly when she brought herself back to reality and turned to the girl.

This young woman was a different matter entirely. She had the same blue eyes as Alura, it was shocking. If the young science prodigy did not know any better, she almost suspected that she stared straight into a mirror. The reflection that stared back at her. She wore a blue blouse that curved around her body, showing a well-developed and healthy bust, along with a flat and toned tummy, with a cute little belly button. The red mini-skirt she wore showed a pair of spectacular legs that went down. Alura's eyes traveled up and down her body, before she turned herself away and saw the pair of red high heeled boots that adorned their face.

"It's amazing how much we look alike," Alura managed when she shook her head and brought herself back to life. Her heart skipped half of a beat before she pushed herself back into a focusing position. "Are we related in some way, perhaps?"

Kara smiled in spite herself. _'If only you knew, mother.'_

"You wanted to see us," Harry responded and Alura's eyes snapped up, now she was all business and all action. The blonde rocked a little bit on the heels and stood, watching and focusing on the couple before her.

"My name is Alura In-Ze, and I noticed your powers and I'm afraid that others might notice it as well. In some ways, I regret figuring out that the yellow solar energy can be harnessed in such a way, it will prevent….there will be some that will misuse the gifts they receive."

Kara turned to her. "My name is Kara."

"Harry," Harry responded.

A smile spread over Alura's face before she invited them inside, now that they were properly introduced, they could enter the gates and to the estate. She felt a bit nervous; there was a chance that now her discovery was public, this place was going to be discovered and perhaps visited by parties that meant to do her harm. She walked forward, with Harry and Kara following her. They entered the doors of the large house, before they walked down a winding hallway.

The group stopped at a sitting room area.

"Sit down, I'll get you something to drink," Alura responded before she walked off, leaving Harry and Kara alone.

Harry took the offer, sitting down on the couch, while Kara positioned herself on Harry's lap, a grin crossing her face. He smiled back, before pulling his new girlfriend into a tight embrace, holding her body against his. She draped her head on his shoulder, running his hands through her blonde hair. Kara took a moment to relax against him.

"So what do you think about my mother?"

"She's nice, a bit absent minded, but all of the geniuses are," Harry offered and Kara leaned back to rest with him. He placed an arm around her tightly, feeling her skin. Alura was taking her time which was good.

"It's the first time I really met her," Kara commented in a whisper, when Harry ran his fingers through her hair. "She died when I was three years old….that was a long time ago, never quite knew what happened."

' _And now that we have a second chance, she's the first person I'm going to save.'_

"Sorry, hope you like this one, I've been meaning to restock for a while," Alura remarked when she arrived a bit along. She handed the drinks to Harry and Kara. "I'm guessing that you're not quite from around here."

"Depends on what you mean from not around here," Harry responded, choosing his words carefully, not wanting to imply anything. He took a drink of what Alura give him and it was good. After he tested it for the usual poisons, whilst he felt he could trust Kara's mother, one could never be too careful.

Alura paused, trying to figure out a way to word this without coming across as offending anyone. She took a few minutes to go over it in her head and she decided that it was best to throw away any pretext of tact and say what she needed to say. The blonde turned, a blinking in her eyes, before she began to speak.

"Well your powers, are amazing but they are received underneath the red sun."

Alura stopped before she paused.

"I have a theory."

Kara waved for her to continue and so Alura did.

"Give that Kryptonians, who naturally evolve underneath a red sun, get supernatural powers underneath a yellow sun, why couldn't the inverse be true? Those who evolve underneath a yellow sun naturally could receive super powers from a red sun. And there is only one other planet in the universe that has beings close enough to Kryptonians that have evolved under a yellow sun. I would not be bold to state that you come from the planet known as Earth."

Alura hoped that she was right but one of them shook her head with the other nodding.

"So, wait, you….I'm confused."

Harry smiled back. "It is rather confusing to figure out where we came from. Especially given the circumstances how we got here. But we can tell you one thing that you need to know and you might call us crazy for when we tell you."

Alura waved off these words.

"I told you when you got here, I have a pretty good imagination. There's nothing that you could tell me that I won't expect. So tell me about it, there's nothing that you can tell me will shock me all that much."

The blonde smiled, she was sure that Alura would find it quite shocked when she found out that Kara was her daughter in the future. Yet, that was not a statement that Kara wanted to share with her and she turned to Harry. She could tell at the same time that Harry did not want to share the statement either. The pair of travelers sat on the couch, wondering what to say, so Kara decided to speak up.

"Krypton….well its core is unstable."

Alura did not even blink at this and Kara wondered if she was believed. "I imagined as much, we would have an unstable core for various reasons. This planet has had many wars; the city of Kandor has been destroyed and rebuilt numerous times throughout the centuries. And one of our moons has been destroyed centuries ago which caused dramatic alterations to the gravitational pull of the planet."

She also made a mental note that there were tremors, not many but there were some.

' _It's funny how long ago this started,'_ Kara thought, when she grabbed Harry's hand.

"Anyone who dares state anything will be shut down by the Council at worst and forced into imprisonment or they will be executed for treason," Alura responded when she stared at the couple before her.

Harry's smile became rather pained at this moment. Telling the government about a problem and them ignoring it in favor of pretending that there was no problem whatsoever, Harry would have to say that there was something about that which seemed rather familiar to him. He was experiencing a sudden case of Deja-Vu. The dark haired, green eyed wizard looked at Alura with a sympathetic smile.

"I know because people have gone to the Council with claims before and have been shut down," Alura added, crossing her arms. "Unless you tell them what they want to hear, it doesn't matter how much information is presented. They will claim that you are speaking falsehoods and…..well you will be shut down."

"Then we're going to have to do what we need to do without the Council knowing," Kara stated, feeling in a rebellious mood when she looked across from her younger mother, who leaned back on the couch.

Alura in particular was in two minds about this situation; the first mind was that she should not really do anything to defy the council. The second mind was if the planet was in danger, then she should do everything in her power to fix it and Rao be damned what the consequences would be.

"Let's discuss this matter further."

There were other planets that suffered this fate, the small things destroying the core. The pressure built up until the planet destroyed. These two were sent here for a reason and Alura feared that this reason was to help save the planet. What stake either of them had in this, she had not the foggiest notion. All she knew was that there was something that they needed to do and they need to get to work.

* * *

The next couple of days, Kara and Harry hung out at the In-Ze estate that was outside of Kandor. They really found it to be a peaceful existence when they hung around Krypton and Kara remembered the good parts. She actually got to know her mother for the first time since she was young. She turned and bent over the probe that they were working on, it was a high class technology that was beyond a lot that they saw on Earth or even on Krypton.

"Do you mind if I ask you a question?"

Kara spun around and shook her head, a smile crossing her face and she shook her head, when the blonde taking a moment to look at her mother. Then when the time passed, Alura chimed in with the question that she been bursting to ask.

"How did you harness the power of flight?"

Kara took a moment to consider that, there was no way to really describe how she harnessed the power of flight. It was something that he did and she tried to put it into words. Her blue eyes were swimming with a bit of conflict and she turned her head around, before she held her hands together before she threw her head back and tried to figure out how to explain it. Alura sensed her hesitation and her confusion.

"You don't have to explain, if you really don't really want to."

Kara decided to explain.

"The flight…it represents a state of being, a total confidence in you and your powers. It embraces who you really are. If you don't have complete confidence in your powers or if you doubt their plausibility in any way, you won't harness the power of flight. Also your powers….they'll be weaker than others, I think. Granted, even strong powers they take some time to train up but….it's easy to fly."

Kara paused for a moment before she continued.

"Sorry, I don't really know how to explain how to fly. It's really easy to me. Up, up, and away."

Alura turned before she smiled back at Kara. "I guess, that's something I have to figure out. I'm going to get past these mental block that I have, that's what it is, isn't it, some kind of mental block that I have?"

Kara thought that was the best thing to describe it, there was a mental block that prevented those Kryptonians from flying when they should be flying. There should be no problem with the yellow solar radiation. That was part of Clark's problem but she figured Clark had many other issues that he was going to deal with in his own time. Kara reminded herself that she was not in that timeline anymore.

Harry turned up at that moment, walking towards both of the girls with a smile on his face.

"Hey, beautiful," Harry responded when he leaned forward and kissed Kara on the lips. Kara returned the kiss with passion, wrapping her arms around Harry when she did, when they broke apart. He sat down between the two girls. "So, are we working on it?"

"With any luck, we can use this probe to bury it down in the center of the planet," Alura explained when she placed her hands on the probe. Her blue eyes studied the metallic object, before he tapped on the side of it. "That way we can get details about it and don't kill anyone in the process."

"That's smart, you realize that the core of this planet is radioactive and can hurt us," Kara responded when she remembered the….Kryptonite she believed that Clark called it, at least that rolled off the tongue better than meteor rocks.

Alura actually looked unsurprised when they told her this. She let them in on what she learned about the core of the planet. "I studied it, although it's not entirely fatal to those without the powers derived from the yellow sun. Although as it slowly seeps up from the planet, the radioactive could potentially slowly destroy us and it may contaminate the water supply as well. I don't know if there's a name for that disease, but it will slowly eat away at us."

"Cancer?" Harry offered when he looked at her.

Alura smiled back and went back to her calculations. "Yeah that works."

A knock on the door brought Alura out of her work after that time. She stood rigid, she seldom had any visitors. Surely, there would not be a good reason why someone was here. Unless this was about the yellow solar radiation simulator, something that Alura regretted sharing more and more. The credit she got to graduate early, sure it was useful but the Pandora's Box was something she did not want to open.

"Stay here."

Alura left Harry and Kara, before she made her way down two sets of steps. She was not the pessimistic type but after the attack that she coincidentally suffered that Harry and Kara saved her from, she was a bit on edge. She held a weapon in the pocket of her robes that would release a bullet that contained a plant toxin that paralyzed the person it struck. She hoped that she would never have to use it. However, there was a possibility she would have to use it.

She heard someone tapping on the side of the door and paused.

"Who is there?"

"It's Zor-El."

Alura paused for a moment, that was not a good bit of news. Her and Zor-El, well there was a bit of tension between the two of them after an incident that happened with them some years ago. It was not the good type of tension either but Alura resolved to leave the past in the past.

"What do you want?"

"I wish to apologize."

Now Alura was curious and suspicious at the same time. Her curiosity got the better of her.

"Well, my ears are opening."

Alura tried to figure out what he want, what he really wanted, because his very public statement of how they should use the technology was moving through her mind. The blonde stepped up a little bit, before staring him down. Zor-El carefully invited himself inside.

"I'm very busy, Zor-El," Alura responded when she looked over her shoulder.

"In what way?" Zor-El asked when he frowned. Alura was hiding someone.

He knew about the attack that happened and when he found out who was behind it, he would take them down hard. There were other ways to get his hands on the solar powered technology that gave Alura her powers. He figured that she had help, the fact she disappeared for nearly a year, she met someone off world. And that someone saved her from the attack from those goons today, that much Zor-El pieced together.

Those goons died in their cells today, it was an accident, at least officially.

"I'm dealing with a flaw in the technology that makes long term use dangerous," Alura responded quickly.

Zor-El frowned before he nodded. "So you wish to correct the flaw before you put it out for consumption for the people of Krypton and to help the planet. That's quite understandable, although I do wish you would have stated that to avoid confusion."

Alura's arms crossed, Zor-El's definition of help and her definition of help were two entirely different things. They had different ideas about what the potential for this technology would be. Yet she would allow him to believe that they were on the same wavelength, even though they were entirely different. The blonde's eyes blinked when she turned her head and crossed her arms a little bit, before she swung them.

As it turned out Zor-El was not the only person who showed up on that day.

"I heard about the regrettable attack."

"Dru-Zod," Alura responded, her father and Zod's had fought side by side in the Kandorian Military.

Zod nodded, pleased that he was remembered and he saw the simmering burn of hatred that Zor-El gave him because of his presence. Alura paid him no mind whatsoever, so why should Zod be bothered by it. The young and brash cadet presented himself tall and proud before with an impeccable posture.

"Rest assure, if you need anything, I'm here for you," Zod stated when he looked at Alura, a calculating glint in his eye.

Alura frowned, she knew of a well calculated attempt to get in her confidence when she saw one. Zod was a devious one, much like his father was before him. He came from a long line of military leaders and politicians, all of them ruthless and quite charismatic. Their manipulation was something that was second to none but Alura knew how to play that game. In a world that Jor-El did not exist, she would be the foremost young scientific mind on Krypton but that was not all. Her intelligence also went to the arena of politics but it was a matter of asserting herself which could be a problem.

"The sentiment is appreciated, from both of you," Alura stated in the most diplomatic voice she could manage. "But you should know that I have everything under control, so if you do not mind, I wish to be left to my work."

Suspicion once again reigned in the eyes of Zor-El.

"If you wish for assistance…."

"It's delicate work," Alura stated when she ushered them out, nearly pushing them out the door. "I know how to get in contact with you, either of you, if I need any help, I will be in touch and not a second before."

Alura ushered the pair of them out of her estate and spun around to see Kara hovering over the stairs. She looked frustrated and bit her lip when she watched the other blonde.

"What if they saw you?"

"Trust me, they won't see me," Kara answered but there was something that she was quite curious about. Her parents seemed to be so cold towards each other, well her mother for the most part. It was quite alarming to say the very least, and it kind of made Kara wonder.

Then again, Kara inferred that it was because they were much younger; her mother was only in her early twenties right now. She was barely out of her final year of the academy, and that much caused Kara some alarm. The blonde turned her head, twisting it around before she walked up the stairs. She was not even aware that her mother was on speaking terms with Zod but then again he was a bit different than he was. He was not the cold General Zod that he would turn into, at least not completely.

Perhaps not too much different than what he would become because Kara saw the same calculating menace in his eyes. Zod was someone who seldom changed and the blonde waited for the next move, whatever would come from that. Only time would tell what was going to happen now.

* * *

The days passed with Harry and Kara hanging out at an art exhibit outside of Kandor. The more she thought about it, the art of Kandor was an acquired taste and now that she had been on Earth for nearly a year, it was kind of dull all things considered. There was no imagination to it; there was a lot of science, a lot of structure, nothing inventive about the art at all. It was much like much of everything else on Krypton, rather stoic and without any passion, without any emotion.

Harry pretended to be interested for her sake, she could tell this and she smiled because of this. It was amusing for the simple fact that Kara was trying hard to keep interested in the exhibits herself. It was not something that she was trying all that hard at to be perfectly honest.

"So what do you think, Harry?" Kara asked him, nudging him slightly with her elbow.

"It's the greatest thing I've ever seen."

Kara shook her head, allowing her hair to fly back and forth in amusement, a small smile crossing her lips before she looked at Harry. "No tell me again Harry, the truth, because I used to think that this was interesting but I was wrong."

Harry was glad that she thought this, because he found the art downright dull.

"The real beauty is on my arm, so I can't complain too much," Harry responded when he locked arms with Kara.

Kara smiled, in spite herself and she saw a very familiar figure approaching. She stood on her feet, tension, granted he was far different than the man he would become. Still, that did not mean that Kara had to be completely at ease with him. And he was not the larger than life genius that everyone looked up to, he started somewhere at humble beginnings like the rest of the world. While she had been impressed by his accomplishments, there were other things about him that Kara found less than satisfactory.

Harry sensed his girlfriend's discomfort when she saw the man walk up and it was remarkable how much he resembled his son. He was here, Jor-El popped up and eyed both of them with an appraising look.

"You're Alura's house guests."

Kara and Harry stood tense, on pins and needles.

"I know of the experiment that she's working on but I also know of the danger that she's in. And the danger that you'll be in, because by now the Council will be made aware of what she's doing. Her claims the technology…."

Harry put a hand up and blocked Jor-El from speaking for a moment. He proceeded to put a privacy barrier around them because he had the strangest feeling that what Jor-El was about to say next was not something that should be said around prying ears.

"Okay speak."

Jor-El raised an eyebrow but he continued into his explanation. "She has perfected the technology that would filter the red solar radiation into yellow for six months before her demonstration. She does not want the Council or the Army to get their hands on it for fear that it will be used for conquest and I for one agree. I feel that such powers should be used in a responsible manner and not in a way where they would be abused."

Kara and Harry agreed with this.

"We have a more pressing problem, it has to do with the planet's core."

Jor-El listened intently when they explained to him about the data they received.

"I must commend you for being bold enough to get this project past the Council but I must warn you if they find a hint of it, they will sentence you to treason. Especially given that I am under the assumption that you are visiting."

Harry paused for a moment, not answering but his lack of answer was all the answers that Jor-El needed. He saw a glimpse of them the first time they saved Alura and others might as well. Not their faces, Jor-El was confident of that. At least not until now but he saw them as two heroes who were in a world that the status quo was adhered to. One did not fix what was not broken, that was the law of the Council .

Well if it was not broken, then it most certainly was worn out.

"This will save the world," Kara answered in a firm voice.

Jor-El remained stoic but he took a moment to shake his head and think carefully. "That is something that I don't doubt, but to save the world, you would force the people to admit that the very ground they stand on is flawed. And if the ground they stand on is flawed, that would mean that we are flawed and that is something that lacks logic to them. I trust you find the fallacy within that."

"Loud and clear," Harry answered, wincing ever so slightly when he thought about it. Yes, with something like this there was going to be many problems. Kara clenched his hand tightly but he recalled why he was here.

Despite the power of the governments in the world, Harry Potter did not back down for any reason whatsoever, and he would fight with what's right. Of course, by this point, he would be known by the government and that could put this in jeopardy. Yet, despite that fact, Harry refused to back down from what was right. That was the type of person he was, never giving up, never stopping, and most certainly never caving in the people who thought that he leave well enough alone. That was not in the genetic DNA of Harry. He turned his head slightly and thought about everything but that's how he rolled.

Kara had an equal amount of determination on her face, it was hard not to with being around Harry. She was here where she was for a reason; there was no doubt in her mind that the Phantom Zone sent her here for a reason. The blonde resolved to figure out what that reason was and she turned her head around, crossing her arms together and throwing her head back a little bit before she smiled.

"If you need assistance….I will do what I can, but I was never here."

Harry got the implied meaning of that statement loud in clear for Jor-El. He and Kara continued their date, enjoying the company that each other shared. Time ticked by, they wanted to return back to the estate by dinner time.

* * *

Alura missed having company after having here for the past few days, although she supposed that they needed some time away. Rao only knew that she would be frustrated if she would be in the company of the same person for hours and hours on end. As much as she enjoyed their company, it would be prudent to have a short time off. Not too much time but perhaps a little bit of time, at least to cool things down.

The blonde tapped her fingers on the edge of the desk she sat out, when she thought about Harry and Kara. Kara was an interesting one, as it still struck Alura how much they resembled each other. Standing them next to each other, they could be twins even. Unless she had a clone out there somewhere and on Krypton, that was possible given the strange science that was going on. She was rather devoted to Harry, that much was for sure.

Not that she could blame Kara.

Speaking of Harry, well he was an interesting matter as well, Alura thought about him and what he brought to the table. He was not the most gifted from a scientific perspective she noticed but he had his own input. She suspected that he was another magic user like her, even though she could not prove it. It was one of those things on Krypton where people did not ask because it was honestly not anyone's business.

The blonde shifted her gaze away and rolled her head back, remaining deep in thought.

A knock on the door brought Alura out of the thoughts and the knocks seemed rather frantic and urgent. She took a step forward; it couldn't be Harry and Kara. She keyed the door to open to them automatically, and hopefully they would be able to conclude construction on the probe if it was them. Never the less ,Alura was intrigued and she made her way down the steps, walking rather carefully.

"Hang on, I'm coming."

She did wonder who it was, especially given that it was so late in the afternoon. There was only one way to find out, when she picked up her strides and picked up the pace. She made it down the two flights of stairs before she saw them on the other side of the door.

Tension filled her body and blood ran cold through her body.

Representatives from the Kandorian Council were outside and that was rarely good. When people were summoned to face the Council, they did not often return. Well some did but they were never the same again. It was good not to catch their attention.

"May I help you?"

Alura tried to remain polite, perhaps a little too polite.

"Alura In-Ze, we come here representing the Kandorian Council. We understand that you have had house guests."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

Alura said that statement with conviction but it was not bought by the Council.

"We believe that you need to be taken in for questioning, because there is evidence that you may be compromised and unwittingly leading an alien invasion. All of your inventions will be confiscated until the Council can prove that they are safe."

Alura turned around, backing off a little bit, before she pulled the weapon in her robes on one of the council members. The dart shot into his neck and paralyzed him immediately, before she rushed up the stairs.

"SUBDUE HER!"

Alura reached into a box on her desk and pulled out the necklace, one of the last ones, and hoped that it still worked. She waited for the red sunlight coming through the window to filter into yellow so she could be empowered. The Council sent several armed guards after her and her back was against the wall.

**To Be Continued.**


	8. Contempt

**Chapter Seven: Contempt.**

Alura felt frustration overwhelm her, this was not good at all and not what she planned to happen. Going public with her discoveries might have got her a credit in her classes but it was going to end up getting her thrown underneath a bridge because the Kandorian council wanted their hands on her inventions. She took out one of the honor guards and rushed up the steps, before she barricaded herself inside the lab. Her breath went in and out, very labored and very panicked.

This could go better, much better.

They were coming; she couldn't stop them if they wanted to get their hands on her technology. She looked at one of the necklaces and wondered if she should use it. It was the last one she had made; she needed to acquire some of the minerals that she used to filter the sunlight. She turned it around and put it around her neck, feeling the red solar radiation from inside her lab but it wasn't working.

This necklace was a dud.

Alura could curse her bad luck, before she spun around on her heels and threw her head back, giving a minor scream in frustration. They pounded on her door but suddenly there was a crack from outside.

Someone fell to the ground and Alura watched them, dare she look? Dare she open the door? Dare she tempted fate? Did Rao actually smile on her or was this some cruel joke that the rug would get pulled out from underneath her?

She heard another punch echo from the room outside and her heart skipped a couple of beats when she listened to what happened. The honor guard smashed and threw onto the ground, before they slid down the steps with a solid impact.

Alura, tentatively, reached forward, and turned the knob, opening the door. The door clicked open and she saw Harry and Kara on the outside. Both looked frantic and Kara wasted no time telling her why they looked this way.

"They have a full scale army outside of the estate, we got to go, get all of your technology, and get out of here," Kara stated without taking a breath. She never knew something like this happened but she was ready to take steps preventing a mess from occurring.

"Maybe I should give them the technology, give them what they wanted," Alura responded with a fretful expression and she wished, oh how she really wished that she did not give them that technology in the first place. Her heart skipped a couple of beats when she thought about it and she folded her arms, it was really bad to say the least.

Kara took a step forward but suddenly keeled over, feeling a bit weak and flushed. Harry stepped over and saw it sitting on the table, the glowing chunks of green rock that made her dizzy and faint, quite faint in fact. Harry saw Kara bent over and unable to really move past the most basic movements.

"These rocks...they're called Kryptonite, they make people...like us sick when we're super powered," Kara managed, holding onto Harry for support.

"Not for long," Harry answered when he tapped his finger on the amulet and caused it to glow around Kara, creating a shield around her and thus another layer of protection. The blonde stood up proud and turned her head, shaken a little bit but standing tall never the less. "And you shouldn't give up the technology you helped pioneer. You think it could help people, well it still could."

Alura frowned before she stated one thing in a trembling and nervous voice. "Going against the council now is suicide."

"Not going against them is being a coward," Kara answered when she looked at Alura. An encouraging smile crossed her face. "After all I've heard about you, after all I've known about you, you're not a coward."

Alura blinked wondering how this girl that she recently met could know anything about her. She turned her head around but she thought that Kara had a point. A coward would cave into the Council and jump high in the air when they said jump in the air. The blonde adjusted her expression in her mind and took a moment to really consider what was being said and she nodded, a smile crossing her face.

"You're right."

Kara looked at her younger mother and smiled. "Of course, I'm right, that's how it goes."

Harry mulled over the situation in his mind but he knew exactly what they had to do and he brought it to their attention.

"My shield spells, whilst good, will not hold out forever," Harry responded when he looked back at Kara and Alura. "They will find a way in here. We need to get the technology out of the lab and shrink it, get out of here and lay low. Someone who won't rat us out to the Council."

Alura decided to give him that person, without missing much of a beat. "Jor-El."

Kara raised a quizzical eyebrow at this but turned slowly to Alura, and spoke in a quiet voice. "Are you sure he can be trusted?"

Alura decided to defuse Kara's doubts with a few well placed words. "Jor-El knows what it's like to go head to head with the council. He's butted heads with them over their methods more times than I could count. He understands that they should not be the be all and end all authority of everything."

Kara agreed, she hoped that her mother's judgment was sound. Harry used a shrinking spell to pack up all of the equipment nicely. There was little time to waste for what Harry was doing. He kept working on the spells, packing up the equipment a few jabs of the wand at a time. They were summoned into a bag that Harry conjured.

"There, I've given them their yellow solar powers by charming the walls to give off the radiation," Harry answered when he looked at the two blondes. "I've also left this Kryptonite here so they could get a nasty surprise."

Alura could not resist commenting on everything. "So...you don't fool around, do you?"

"You have no idea," Harry responded when he took both of the girls by either hand before he popped them away.

The council honor guard let themselves in no sooner did Harry leave. They arrived at the lab, half expecting to take the spoils of victory.

The Kryptonite in the lab overwhelmed them and caused them to keel over, dropping to the ground. They hacked and they wheezed from the poison. They struggled back to their feet but there was no getting back to their feet.

Would the effects of this radiation ever wear off, allowing them to get back up?

Yeah, they would, in a sense, in a little bit, but they would learn their lesson, or at least in theory they would.

* * *

"Well you have been busy today, you are among the most wanted in all of Krypton."

"Wanted for trying to protect technology that I invented," Alura stated dismally when she, Harry, and Kara sat around in Jor-El's lab.

"My father and Zor-El are in Kandor on business today, so they should not pose a problem," Jor-El stated to the group of them. "Would you want anything to drink?"

"No not now, thanks for the offer," Kara stated, when she shook her head and the other two did likewise.

Alura decided to break a silence that developed. "I suppose you think that I should throw myself at the mercy of the council."

Jor-El shook his head, that was not what he was implying at all and decided to tell Alura that much. Especially given some of the battles he had with the Council.

"Throwing yourself at the mercy at the Council, especially when they have no mercy, would not be an endeavor that I would recommend to anyone. The Council has their own abilities to twist the words of anyone around and cause them to be made fools. I hope you do remember that, Alura and know of the Pandora's Box you may have opened."

Harry was surprised, he assumed that Pandora's Box was an Earth expression but he supposed it had some degree of meaning on Krypton. Jor-El was not finished.

"I believe that your technology has merit but Kryptonians...we are not as high and mighty as we think to be," Jor-El commented when he turned towards the window and remained impassive and thoughtful, when he placed his hands on his hips. "I believe..."

What Jor-El believed was interrupted when someone let themselves inside the family estate. The young scientist stopped, fearing that it was his brother or his father. They would not take too kindly to him harboring fugitives, no matter how much they did not deserve to be hunted down by the people of Kandor. He stood on pins and needles, and Alura, Kara, and Harry made themselves scarce, hiding.

A young fresh faced man appeared before Jor-El.

"Cadet Zod of the Kandorian Army, Jor-El," Zod stated when he stared him down. "I come here to inquire about Alura In-Ze and her whereabouts."

Jor-El decided to break this news to them gently. "Then I'm afraid that you have come to the wrong place, for I know nothing about her. I will say that her technology is being misunderstood with what it is meant for."

"Then I will say that whilst I do think that the yellow sun radiation has military applications, it's not for the ones that my fellow Kandorians think," Zod stated when he stared Jor-El in the eye without blinking. "We do not need to write home to tell people they've lost fathers, brothers, sons, mothers, sisters, daughters, none of that, for if we had access to the yellow sun's healing abilities, we could heal even the most fatal of injuries. I understand that under the red sun, we will be mortal as ever but with the yellow sun's healing embrace, we will be invincible."

Jor-El thought this cadet talked a good game but he had to challenge him.

"And what of our enemies, what if they come across this technology? They might not be as altruistic."

Zod offered a nod at those words. "Then we must remain vigilante and have it remained guarded."

"A faulty concept if the guards themselves become corrupted," Jor-El stated, he wanted to believe that this technology could be used for good. "And any security systems, well the best computers in the universe can be corrupted if someone messes with their core programming."

"Our Brain Interactive Construct would be perfect for the job, it is beyond reproach and would not deviate from its programming," Zod stated but Jor-El had his doubts about artificial intelligence, even if the Council shut him down when he tried to make his claims heard.

They were stubborn and Jor-El felt that they would lead to the planet's destruction.

"I know they're here, Jor-El, I heard voices," Zod stated when he looked at the man, daring him to contradict his answers.

Jor-El was ready to fire back and fire back he did.

"For someone of your caliber, I would think that your talents would be fit for a bit more than eavesdropping," Jor-El answered in a swift voice, not missing a beat with his cutting words. Zod did not back down to his credit. "I'm impressed with what you've done."

"I do not wish you any harm and malice but given the stunt that Alura and her two companions pulled in the lab, they are not going to have any mercy," Zod stated when he looked at Jor-El. "The name Zod holds a lot of weight in the military on this planet, my father and his father before him, they were decorated commanders."

"And you hope to follow in his footsteps one day," Jor-El stated when he looked at Zod.

Kara watched the interplay from the other room, she could easily see through the walls because of her X-Ray vision.

"We do have a problem, there is a mole in our government and I've heard whispers that Black Zero has learned of the technology," Zod stated, and this caused the two blonde Kryptonians in the other room to cringe.

"Black Zero, they're a terrorist group," Kara whispered, she would tell him more, about how they were responsible for the destruction of Kandor and potentially a lot of the deterioration of the planet's core.

Alura closed her eyes, she never should have shared her discoveries with anyone, now she opened up the floodgates for something far more dangerous. The blonde ran her fingers through her hair and sighed, none of this was going her way at all. She felt her knees buckle slightly at the stress but Harry held her up.

"I do not wish to turn them into the Kandorian government for it is has been infiltrated," Zod stated, hoping that they would come out of hiding, wherever they are. This yellow solar technology was his ticket to moving up the ranks in the army and he needed their trust before he could access its secrets.

"But then they would be in your debt and being in the debt of a Zod is not a position that anyone wants to be," Jor-El stated when he looked back him.

Zod swayed slightly but otherwise did not miss a beat when he stated the next part of his statement. "You do wound me Jor-El, I thought...or perhaps that I hoped, that you would consider things from a certain perspective."

"Would I now?" Jor-El stated when he stared him down.

Kara, Alura, and Harry all thought that things were going to get rather tense, rather quick.

"I will return within the next day and you should talk to your friends, but consider your options," Zod stated when he looked at them. "Your father is unwilling to help you, in fact he may decide to turn all three of them in for more political capital from the council. Remember that Jor-El."

"I will remember that," Jor-El stated when he looked at Zod. "Congratulations on the birth of your son."

Zod stopped and nodded. "Thank you; it was the proudest day of my life to become a father. I hope that he will have a long and successful life."

"I'm sure with a father like you, it would be hard for him not to be successful," Jor-El stated and he shook hands with Zod before they parted ways.

Kara raised an eyebrow, she had no idea that Zod was a father, although she wondered what happened to his son. Then again, the history of Zod the man was rewritten when he took a greater control as General Zod.

"He is gone, and I believe we will have no more interruptions," Jor-El stated to the three of them, they all walked out.

* * *

Jor-El took a moment to look over the technology, reading it, before a grim expression crossed his face and he turned around to face the group.

"I've got both good news and bad news," Jor-El stated when he properly faced Kara, Alura, and Harry.

Harry blinked for a second and let out a deep breath he held when he faced Krypton's foremost young prodigy in the eye. "Isn't there always?"

In most situations, yes," Jor-El stated without any humor in his voice whatsoever. He turned his head a little bit to the side and thought about everything before he spat out what he needed to say. "The good news is that I've looked over some of the data of your technology and it will work, in fact it works too well."

"So that would be the bad news?" Alura asked Jor-El and Jor-El pondered on this for a moment before he decided to offer his input on the matter.

"The bad news is, allowing this power to the people of Krypton would be a very bad idea. In fact, one could consider that this would lead to the planet's doom. A handful of people with this power, they would work if they could yield it responsibly. That lies the huge issue, there are very few that would be responsible with this power. As much as I wish to show faith in my fellow Kryptonians, I do not wish to be a fool with this situation."

"Understandable," Kara stated in a stoic voice when she held Harry's hand in hers. She feared that there was going to be some kind of problem between the two of them, although she had no idea what it was going to be. The blonde stood by her boyfriend.

"They could create some kind of solar tower and find a way for the crystals to be everlasting," Jor-El concluded when he looked at them. His eyes focused on Harry in particular. "And I trust you've found a way to make the crystals ever lasting with your abilities."

Harry paused, he did not want to blow his big secret but at the same time he had no choice. He inclined his head a little bit but by not saying nothing, he said everything.

"So, you would be a viable commodity for those willing to utilize the technology on a more permanent," Jor-El stated before he offered what he hoped was the worst news yet. "The crystals...are highly unstable."

"Of course they are," Harry let out in a breath when Kara grabbed his arm with a force that would rip it off if he was a normal human.

Jor-El decided that it would be prudent if he would elaborate a bit more than he did previously. He drew his breath before he started to speak. "The crystals, as they are, they are highly unstable. The slightest modification of them...well it could cause disastrous effects to the core of Krypton."

Kara went pale a little bit but she shook off the feeling of incoming dread that she experienced. Could it be possible that her mother and her experimentation were in any way responsible for the destruction of the planet, if if it was small? The more she went over what bits and pieces she knew in her mind, she knew that it was not one major thing that destroyed their planet. No it was a domino effect, as the people on Earth might call it, and the igniting on the core would be the spark that knocked over what was set up.

"I'm sure there's a way to stabilize them," Harry offered when he held his girlfriend's hand tightly, and his heart thumped against his chest before he thought about it. He used the memory crystals at both Alura's lab and Jor-El's to up his knowledge, but he had a lot to learn and the knowledge to be imparted carefully as not to overwhelm him. "But this planet...I'm not sure it has much time left."

"Yes, the activity, I have been keeping a close eye on it, my father believes it to be a folly but I think it's worthy of observation," Jor-El stated when he mulled it over.

He hoped that the planet's destruction was not at hand but he would be a fool not to at least acknowledge that possibility. The people in the Council knew that Krypton would last forever, at least that's what they stated. Jor-El knew better, he knew that nothing was forever, as many planets through the universe proved. His eyes narrowed when he turned around and held his hands together.

"There will be a way, there always is a way to make sure everything turns out for the best."

Jor-El could not say what that way was but he knew there to be a way.

The problem was finding that way before it was too late and that could mean a problem. He ran a few more tests.

"I do wonder with the proper calibrations if channeling the red sun's beams into yellow and drilling a probe into the planetary core will cause some kind of healing factor," Jor-El mused when he spun around. "Perhaps this technology could make sure Krypton is strong but not in the way that the Council intends it to be."

Kara pondered this situation before she nodded and smiled. "It has to work."

"It could very well work," Alura stated when she turned around. She could use her technology to save their planet, although she wondered if that good for nothing council members would want anything.

Kara pondered this over in her mind, wondering if they had any right whatsoever to play Rao. Then she realized one fundamental truth, she would be saving hundreds of innocent lives. They could chance the past and perhaps Krypton would survive for a million years like it was stated when she was younger.

She stood there and wondered if her own existence was in peril but she recalled the theories of time travel. There was another timeline where she ceased to exist the moment her and Harry popped back in this one. Kal-El and the rest were alive in that timeline and they would continue to go forward without her. That might seem mean but it was what it was.

Kara sighed, if they saved the planet, they could be going into the unknown. One of three things would happen and she was at a loss to figure out what was the most likely.

The first thing was that no matter what their best efforts was, Krypton would cease to exist like it did. Perhaps not as soon as it would but perhaps the planet was doomed to fate. The thought crossed Kara's mind and caused her to shiver. That was a depressing instance to think about and one that she did not want to think too much about.

The second situation was that Krypton would survive and go into a new age that would bring some level of peace throughout the universe. To Kara, that was the absolute best thing that could happen to the entire planet.

And then the third scenario, Krypton would survive and decide to become harsh to both it's enemies and their people. There was a certain blind spot regarding certain people and Kara suffered it. Now with the benefit of hindsight, she saw everything clearly now. She saw that the people on the planet were predisposed to a certain type of mania, no matter how high and mighty they thought they were. The so called stoic race was prone to just as many irrational emotions as the so called primitive humans.

Scenario two was the one hoped for which made Kara fear that it was the least likely.

"You wonder if you do the right thing," Harry stated before Kara turned to him.

"If you had a chance...and you could save them, would you?"

She whispered this so only Harry could hear but Harry did not answer, that question. He wondered what she was referring to when she mentioned if he could have saved them. If she meant the people of his world, then he thought that very few of them were worth saving. They were sheep that were lead around by the nose. They changed their opinions on the drop of the dime or at the least article in the Daily Prophet.

If she meant the people of her planet, then that was something that Harry mulled over in the back of his mind. Were they worthy of being saved? Harry had no idea and he shook his head, before he took a moment to think it over.

"It's not an easy answer," Harry stated when he looked at Kara, and cupped her face in his hands, before he pulled her into a soft and tender kiss. Kara returned this, closing her eyes and feeling his strong arms wrapped around her. "There is...there is the easy way to do things and the hard way to do things."

"And there's the right way to do them," Kara offered when she rested her head on Harry's chest and they sat down, resting with each other.

They wondered what they blundered into this time, although both were ready to deal with the challenge. No matter what, there was a lot of problems for them to figure out. He sat down, with his arms wrapped around her, and her head resting on his chest, when she curled up in his lap. It would be a while before Jor-El and Alura returned from their calculations.

Kara sighed when Harry's mouth kissed the side of her neck and ran his hands through her hair.

"I'll be yours forever, as long as you want me to be," Kara sighed, when she rested back on Harry.

"Forever is a long time," Harry answered when he caressed the skin on her neck, before rubbing circles around it.

"Forever is the best time for us," Kara added when she worked open the buttons on his shirt, not caring if they got interrupted. She smiled before she reached down the waistband of his pants. "Is that for me?"

"Yes, it is," Harry responded, pulling her into a kiss when she cupped him around his balls and his manhood.

"Mmm," Kara moaned when Harry unbuttoned her blouse to reveal her mature breasts encased in a lacy red bra. They ran their hands around each other's bodies and got into their intense passions. Harry tugged down Kara's skirt to reveal that she was wearing a lacy red thong and that got his motor running a little bit more.

While they were waiting, they might as well have some fun.

* * *

Zod stood in the precipice of information that could allow him to rise to a higher height of Krypton. He knew that he could rise up the army within the next year, maybe two. Many of the younger cadets washed out of the army within the first few months, and some of them died because of the strain. It was a rigorous process and not for the weak at heart or the weak of mind.

And Zod was not among the weak, not at the slightest. He stood strong and tall, along with proud, above most Kryptonians. He would be able to take his moment of triumph. He saw the yellow solar technology as the gateway, that would bring him to his moment of triumph.

And what a moment that would be. Zod knew that if he stepped to the top and rose above all, they would all drop to their knees before him. The term "kneel before Zod" whispered in the back of his head and he thought about it all, before he realized what he would do. The young cadet would rise up the ranks and take control, if he could gain the confidence of those around him.

He did wonder who had decided to tell the tale about Alura's technology and who stirred up Black Zero about it. Zod was curious because it could have been anyone at that demonstration, although there would have to be one who had intimate knowledge of what Alura was planning. It might have been days since the demonstration but it was still much soon for that particular cat to be let out of the bag.

Zod waited and Zod watched. When he had his hands on the technology, they he would be able to pacify the situation. He could not make his move yet, it was a matter of trust that was needed.

* * *

Harry and Kara crashed after their activities, with Harry wrapping his arm around Kara and having the blanket that they conjured draped over their bodies. She snuggled her head into his shoulder, when the two of them continued to rest. She shifted against him a little bit with Harry holding her in as tightly as he could. She relaxed against him, feeling at ease and it was a good thing.

"I wonder if Jor-El and your mother have figured out how to adapt the technology to heal the planet," Harry whispered to Kara and she stirred, feeling her curves against him. He wrapped his arms around her lovely body, kissing the side of the neck, causing her to whimper in pleasure.

"Good, we can help the planet...but...I have to admit that it looked a lot more idealistic in my memories, " Kara offered when she stirred against Harry. "Unless you think we can clear up what happened with the Council."

Harry raised an eyebrow towards her before he offered one statement. "What do you think?"

Kara got to her feet and got dressed, which Harry was disappointed about. He got dressed as well.

"I think there's only a small chance that we won't be executed for treason," Kara stated when she turned around and sighed heavily. That was the problem with the government, they only thought about what was the best. "You think...you think we could find another planet. There are other planets colonized by Kryptonians around the solar system. I'm not sure what happened to them after the destruction but I'm sure we could find one of them."

Harry smiled and pulled his girlfriend into a long embrace and a kiss. She returned it, relaxing into his arms.

"I love you," Kara breathed when she looked into Harry's eyes.

Harry paused and smiled. "I love you too."

It was so natural and so right speaking it to her. Harry gave her another kiss and they looked to be having an encore of their activities from earlier but something stopped and stalled them, Kara spun around and saw Zor-El making his way up the steps. She tensed up a slight bit but relaxed when she stood next to Harry.

Her father was not the man she thought he was, she found that out a few years ago. Although the distaste Alura showed to Zor-El, Kara wondered about many things about her life. She supposed that he could have mellowed out in a few years, at least enough for Alura to give him a chance. And maybe her death caused him to revert back into some old and wicked ways.

She really was grasping at straws.

At least that's what Kara determined when she looked at everything around there. She took a moment to allow her heart to skip a beat before she decided to focus on the task at hand. She could hear voices with her super hearing.

"Jor-El, what were you thinking? You're going to make this worse before you make it better."

Harry decided to wait for what was going to happen and he clutched Kara's hand.

"The mistakes that are made cannot be made once again, Black Zero, they know," Jor-El stated in a grim voice. "It may be prudent for all of this technology to be destroyed."

Or if Black Zero knows, it may be more prudent to take this technology before the Council and submit it, while giving your apologies," Zor-El stated when he swung his arms and Harry and Kara listened to the conversation.

They would only step in if things got ugly.

Alura exited the room to see Harry and Kara standing there where Jor-El and Zor-El fiercely argued. The two brothers could get very spirited and Kara began to see that clash of philosophies turning ugly quickly.

"Zor-El could have led them here," Alura stated when she looked over her shoulder in a fretful fashion, sighing and biting down on her lip.

"He could have," Kara agreed, she did not want to believe it but at the same time, there was no denying what happened. She put her hands on her head and thought about it, throwing her head back in the process.

Harry placed his arm around Kara's waist before he spun around slightly to turn to Alura.

"Do you have any progress on the experiment?" Harry asked and Alura paused, as if she considered this matter over in her head. Harry waited for her to answer, making sure she took her time and did not rush into things.

"The probe, well it's close to being done, maybe three to four days, but do we have that long? And even if we do get it done, the Council is watching my estate and Jor-El's estate like a hawk. If they see anything launched from here, they'll shoot it down."

"I wish to save this planet."

"Then you will leave this matter alone, Zor-El."

The tensions heightened form the other room when Harry mulled over the situation in his mind and he turned to Alura and Kara. The two blondes huddled towards him, both of them looking very tense.

"I'll see what I can do to divert the attentions of the Kandorian Council and their army," Harry responded, biting down on his lip. They were cutting this too close for comfort but what is done had to be done. "As for the probe, we'll launch it as soon as we can. And then we need to find a way off this planet."

"Find a way off of this planet?" Alura asked, looking at Harry like he had turned her very world upside down. "Leave Krypton?"

Harry decided that he better elaborate more. "You could do what Zor-El says, offer your apologies, and hand over all of your inventions to the Council. But I don't think they're going to listen to reason. You decided to go against their mighty word and even if the reasons were good..."

"If we could sit down and talk with them maybe..."

Kara cut in for a moment whilst she threw her hands in the air. "They are a bunch of stubborn old fools, reason is not something that they're going to be inclined to listen to. And if they don't come after you, Black Zero will come after you. They'll end up destroying the planet to get this technology."

Alura In-Ze prided herself with being a very observant person and she could see Kara cringing about the planet's destruction several times. And the way she spoke about this matter, it was almost like she knew that the planet was going to be destroyed. How she knew it, Alura did not say. And the fact she turned up out of nowhere with Harry, that was the most interesting piece of evidence at all.

"Let's say I take all of my inventions and we somehow get off this planet," Alura stated, deciding to humor the situation for a moment.

"You should for your own safety," Kara responded, wondering if her mother's death was the accident her father told her it was. Granted the time table might have gotten sped up.

"Maybe," Alura stated but she heard the voices of Jor-El and Zor-El from the outside.

Jor-El opened the door and looked at the trio of them, deep in discussion.

"I believe we have a compromise that might benefit all parties," Jor-El responded when he looked at Alura. "Do not question this until I explain it all to you but I feel that this will be the best."

Alura was curious as was Harry and Kara. Jor-El began to explain his plan and Zor-El had to grudgingly admit that his brother did have some points, even though he was woefully mistaken in the bigger picture.

That technology must be preserved for Krypton, and to take down their enemies, no matter what.

**To Be Continued in the Next Chapter "Appeasing the Unappeasable."**


	9. Appeasing the Unappeasable

**Chapter Eight "Appeasing the Unappeasable."**

"So this is what you wish for me to do?" Alura asked with a slightly raised eyebrow when she mulled over what she was asked in her mind. She was trying to figure out if that was feasible within her own mind. "You want me to take one of my inventions, make it so it doesn't work as well, and pass it off as a failed experiment. Will the Council not force me to work on it day and night to make it work?"

"You could say that it is a temporary process," Jor-El offered then with a shrug. "You may have been premature to release this technology..."

"No the Council needs to learn their place," Harry responded without saying another word, as he carefully turned over the situation in his mind. He gripped his hand with Kara who nodded before him. The couple remained resolved and ready for action, even if that action would lead to something where they would suffer greatly. "If they...if we figure out a way for them to leave us alone."

"Well I don't think you can do that without overthrowing the Council," Jor-El responded in a grim voice which Kara simply smiled about with a glint in her eye when she thought about that.

"Hold that thought."

Said thought was held, at least for a moment, when Kara folded her arms over her chest and inclined her head forward ever so slightly. The blonde knew that they were playing with some kind of dangerous fire in their attempts to appease the situation. One might even argue that the situation was not going to be appeased any time soon. She thought that this was an inevitable and unfortunate conclusion to make.

Still despite that fact, Kara put her faith that Harry would come up with something tangible that could allow them to win the day. She thought that they were beginning to form a connection of some sort. In fact, she was going to go as far that they were destined to meet on this day. The blonde turned her head towards Harry, blinking a little bit, before she snaked an arm around his waist.

"So what do you think, Harry?" Kara asked him with a bright smile on her face and it was then where Harry thought the matters over, before he decided to offer his response.

"I think that we shouldn't try for this appeasement of the Council. If I've learned anything when dealing with the government, that is they believe what they want to believe. Therefore, when we go against them, they will shut us down coldly and carefully to begin with. We will stand up to what we believe is right."

Jor-El frowned at this statement before he felt inclined to answer. "Not that I disagree with your assessment but do you not think..."

"I think that we should consider all of our options, from that angle," Harry offered Jor-El, when he turned to them all. "Alura's technology should be used for good. And if Krypton doesn't understand what its purpose is, perhaps there will be others that will."

"You'll never get away with it," Jor-El stated but Kara smiled a sweet smile.

"What are they going to do to us?" Kara asked when she watched out the window, and noticed that Zor-El was gone. That did not bode well for any of them, she feared that he would rat out their position to the Council.

"My brother has departed," Jor-El stated when Alura looked slightly frantic and breathed heavily.

"Can't you get him back here?" Alura asked, in an almost pleading voice, knowing the consequences. The more she learned about Zor-El, the more she was disturbed and the less time she ever wished to spend in his company.

Jor-El turned around and without another word, left to track his brother down. Alura put a pair of hands to her face and sighed for a moment, before she turned her head around to face Kara and Harry.

"The Entire House of El will be the death of me," Alura stated when she looked at the two of them with a look of utmost frustration in her eyes.

She respected Jor-El for his genius and his accomplishments, even if there were some things that he did that defied all explanations. He did what he did because he was Jor-El and there was something that really explained what drove him. The young scientist turned around to face her two companions, hoping that they held the answers that eluded her.

"So what do you think we should do know?" Alura asked Harry and Kara, because she was at a loss for words and time was running rapidly out, faster than she could imagine. They were in what one might consider to be a high pressure situation.

That question would have been answered, had another party showed up. She also had long blonde hair and blue eyes, dressed in blue robes. Kara blinked and her eyes widened, she could hardly believe it but it was another friendly face, albeit one that was far younger than she remembered her. She stood there tall and proud but then Kara remembered something.

Today was the day that she met Jor-El and fell in love with him, delivering a message to him from the Kandorian Council about something or other. Of course, things changed due to the fact that Harry and Kara were here and alternate timeline was being created. That fact, along with the fact that Jor-El ran off after his brother and there was no telling if he was going to return any time soon.

"My name is Lara Lor-Van, my father has sent me with a message from Jor-El," Lara stated when she turned to look to Harry. "Are you Jor-El?"

"No, I'm afraid I'm not," Harry stated when he looked at the young woman, Kara's aunt as he remembered.

"Oh," Lara stated, she sounded a bit disappointed but she snapped her eyes up carefully and she looked business like. He was standing towards two women who might as well be twins, except one was wearing glasses and the other was not. "Well...I can wait for Jor-El to come back, this message is urgent."

"It comes from the Council doesn't it?" Kara asked, unable to help herself. It felt odd how she was technically older than both her mother and her aunt now, of course given the yellow solar radiation; she didn't look a day over eighteen or nineteen years old.

"Yes it does," Lara offered with a smile, when she watched this young woman. "The Council...well they're on the war path about your technology."

"I suppose you're going to turn me in," Alura stated, when she turned to Harry and Kara for back up.

Lara waved her hands to assure her that there was going to be nothing of the short. "No, great Rao no, I would never want to do such a thing, I respect your technology and I think that it's a good thing that you are doing what you are going to do. I hope that you continue to be able to do that but...you know the Council disagrees."

"As they always do," Alura sighed, there was nothing more than she wished to say about the Council.

Lara nodded, before she turned to the other two. "I'm afraid that we haven't been formally introduced."

"I'm Kara, this is my lover, Harry," Kara responded without another pause, saying that endearment with pride.

"It's a pleasure to meet both of you," Lara stated, before she paused and heard the footsteps of someone approaching. She could see the tension of the group, and she shared their belief that it was very likely that something was going to happen.

It was only Jor-El and Alura made the decision that she hoped would not come back to haunt her later on.

"I will construct the decoy technology," Alura stated, her eyes narrowed and a calm expression appearing in her eyes.

"If you're sure?" Jor-El asked the woman, he had been unable to track Zor-El down and he made it clear that he was willing to do what he could to make sure the will of the Council was invoked.

"Yes, I'm sure," Alura stated with a firm voice and a set jaw, but Jor-El turned to Lara who stood there.

"You must be Lor-Van's oldest," Jor-El stated when he looked at Lara.

"Yes, I am, and you must be the all powerful Jor-El," Lara stated when she eyed the scientist. "I would have expected you to be taller for some reason."

Jor-El turned around, if he got the reference, he did not say, his mind was doing what he must to construct the decoy technology. Then they could do what they could to get the probe together which would help heal the planet before it got destroyed.

Harry almost wondered if the planet was the problem or if it was the people on it that destroyed it. From what Kara told him, it was a cataclysm of events that led up to the end of the planet, so it could be many things that would lead to the full scale destruction. He did wonder what happened and wondered what they could do to prevent the destruction. Time was running out and they were in the pressure cooker for this one.

Kara hoped that her father would not do anything that would damage their hopes in saving this world out of some kind of demented greed but it became more likely by each passing instant that he would.

X-X-X

Several hours later, for better or for worse, the group concluded what they hoped to be the completion of the technology that would fool the Council. Alura turned to Jor-El, Lara, Kara, and Harry, hoping to convey to them what she did.

"I altered the device where it would filter yellow solar radiation for only a short period, that of ten minutes before it would burn out, and then the red would bombard the body, cancelling out the effects," Alura explained and they all nodded, understanding. "The super powers being removed from someone's body will be a painful process with how I tweak it, but it is not lethal. We want to teach a lesson that they will live to remember."

 _'Although if they didn't learn from the Kryptonite episode in the lab, I'm not sure what they would learn about,'_ Kara thought when her ears perked up and she clutched Harry's hand.

"And the Council Army is here," Jor-El stated when he peered out the window, but another group made their way up the stairs, breaking down the door.

Harry had to give the devil their due, the Kandorian army could be pretty fast even without super powers. They made their way up the stairs and broke down the doors, before they arrived in the middle of the room, and then they snatched Lara and Alura with fury.

As expected, Zod was the one that lead the charge, even if he was rather low on the totem pole at this present point, he had many friends in the Kandorian military. Friends in extremely low places as it turned out, with Zod eying them a little bit, with a bit of sadism dancing in his eyes when he watched his enemies carefully.

"None of this would happen if you did not stand down and do what is necessary for Krypton," Zod responded in a callous and quite nasty voice when he stared down his enemies. They were prey and he was the predator, dangerous and nasty, mean and cruel. He was staring back at them with the eyes of the killer.

"Dru-Zod, you lied to us," Jor-El stated, feeling a bit twisted. Their fathers were associates and perhaps even friends and Jor-El respected the younger Zod.

"No the true lie is harboring those who will wish to do harm to that of Krypton," Zod responded when Alura and Lara were held to them. "Zor-El only wants the technology for personal greed, but...I wish to do it to save those who cannot save themselves. Make no mistake about it, I do not do this for personal greed, but I do this to protect those who cannot protect themselves, I will save this planet."

"If you use this technology for all of the wrong reasons, then you will doom it," Harry responded when he eyed Zod. "You don't get it, when you squabble over this miracle technology, it won't matter thirty years from now because Krypton will be a memory."

"LIES!" Zod snapped, losing it a little bit, he had no idea who this young man would.

How dare he, how dare him come in here and spout all of these lies? He knew one thing to be true and that was that Krypton would live on forever and a day. There was no question about it, Zod would have his moment and then everything would crumble beneath his feet, all would bow before him, all will get on their knees, and bow before that of Zod. All would worship him as the man that saved this planet, and brought it into a new golden age.

All would kneel before Zod. Men, women, and children would all be on their knees before him.

"You know it to be true, the natural disasters, it's getting rocked by more and more attacks with each passing year," Jor-El stated in a calm voice, before he saw Harry and Kara make their move. "Please, implore you to stand down."

"Jor-El speaks much wisdom, it would be wise of you to do as he says," Zod stated in a nasty voice when he eyes the mysterious couple. He had no idea where they came from but he knew that he would be honored by them. "So I would advise that you stand down, or else."

Kara and Harry locked eyes before the blonde had a smile twitch over her face. She acted like she was going to kneel before Zod before he stated. "I vote for, or else."

Kara knocked Zod with a super powered punch to send him flying. This allowed Harry to pull Alura and Lara out of harm's way, before he flicked his wrists, and caused the tear gas grenades to blind the Kandorian army.

"Get out of the way," Jor-El stated with a grunt, before one of the army officers shot him in the back hard.

Down went Jor-El, blood splattering from him, and he lost the feeling in his legs. He could not even move and Harry and Kara looked down. The shooter was blasted into the wall and then more were sent out the windows on the high floor they stood on with Kara's super breath. She stood beside Harry to give him a look that said "what now?"

"Don't worry, I got one more trick up sleeve," Harry whispered to Kara, who knew that only she could hear him with her super hearing.

Several things happened in a row, one thing at a time. A blinding bright light shot them in the face, filling the lab. Harry levitated the limp and bloodied body of Jor-El up in the air, where he dangled, swaying from one side to the other. He closed his eyes and the right enveloped them, before they blasted off in a flash of light disappearing.

Zod was not happy, he burned up a lot of political capital to plan this attack, and all he had to do with it was a broken jaw. He could barely talk and he had a feeling that he would not be able to chew solid food. He had no idea who that blonde was, but he was not going to let this one go. He would make her kneel before Zod and then he would have her executed.

He massaged his jaw, it hurt, it hurt badly, he could taste his own blood and shattered teeth. That wasn't good at all and what was worse, they disappeared with the technology that would have made him and saved this planet. Did they not see that he only had the best interests of Krypton in mind?

X-X-X

"So we're back...here?"

"It makes sense when you think about it," Harry offered Alura when she asked that question. "We ran from here less than a day before and they would not even dream that we would come back here. I mean, logically speaking, why would we? Therefore this would be the last place they would watch, when they are under the mistaken illusion that we would never come back here."

Alura thought it was good to be home, no matter what, and she turned her head a little bit, watching and waiting, not to mention she took a moment to sit down. Jor-El was down on the bed, his bleeding ceased but he was still not out the woods yet.

"Would your technology be able to completely heal Jor-El?" Kara asked, as much as she butted heads with him, both as an AI and as a man, she did not want to see him die. She sat by Harry, and Lara sat across from them.

Lara smiled in spite herself, when her father drafted her to take this message to Jor-El, something told her that this was not exactly what he had in mind when he sent his oldest daughter out for today. Now she was not complaining, that could spice up her mundane life and lead to her having an adventure. At least that was the idea that she had been trying to figure out in the back of your mind.

"Should my technology be able to heal Jor-El, without a question," Alura stated, without missing a beat, before she reached into the back and pulled out the portal yellow solar simulator. "I can't help but think I'm playing Rao with such a thing. Bringing people back from the brink and all that."

"If it saves people, then it's the right thing to do," Harry offered her and Alura nodded, she would not argue with that point. The blonde focused her expression on Jor-El, who rested on the cot, and twisted the knob.

 _'Here goes nothing,'_ Alura thought to herself when she bombarded Jor-El with the yellow solar radiation.

So far so good, it was working; Jor-El began to move his arms, something that he could not accomplish before. That was a pretty good sign for things to come, if she must say so herself. His fingers started to twitch a little more, that was always a good sign. Alura turned up the frequency ever so slightly, not wanting to harm Jor-El. If she blasted him with too much, too soon, that could put his body into a state of shock.

Kara and Harry watched in rapt anticipation, wondering what would happen yet. Jor-El was not out of the woods and for a brief second, Kara swore that she heard his heart stop. Perhaps it was from the shock of what happened, that was a likely outcome. Yet, that event was only temporary, when Jor-El rocked himself back and his eyes began to glow, before he sent heat vision shooting to the ceiling, setting it on fire.

Harry offered a smile when he quickly put out the flames that shot up in every direction from Jor-El's spontaneous heat vision. "Yes, we know it works."

"I hope that no one else knows it works," Jor-El stated when he looked at them. "The yellow solar radiation gives off a distinct signature that could be tracked if someone is given just cause to do so. You may have brought them here, even if your reasoning was sound."

"Well it's a good thing that I shielded the device from all detection," Harry stated when he looked down at him.

"I was unaware that any amount of shielding technology would block out the equipment of the Council," Jor-El responded when he gave Harry the most skeptical of looks. "Even I found it difficult to get that level of technology out."

"Well then it's a good thing that I didn't use technology," Harry responded and this caused Jor-El's eyes turned to him, carefully analyzing the situation, before he nodded his head.

There were some matters that even the mind of Jor-El could not fathom and one of those matters was going to have to be magic. This particular concept boggled his mind and quite frankly offered him a certain level of confusion. It was not that he did not acknowledge that it did not exist, there was plenty of proof that it did. It was one of those things that he did not think too much about, for it perplexed him.

"So now what?" Kara asked, when she eyed Harry.

"That question never leads to anything good," Lara remarked casually but Kara shrugged.

Harry mulled over everything that he had to do through his head, there were several things that he had to do now but there was one thing that nagged him in the back of his head. The Council would chase them to the ends of Krypton, and then Zod was still out there. Although he would have to be eating through a straw for the next few weeks thanks to Kara smacking him in the face, he was still dangerous and deadly.

Then there was Zor-El, who was motivated by greed and was kind of shifty to begin with. Alura was not at ease with Zor-El for some reason and how they got married and had a child, well that was one of the greatest mysteries in the universe. In fact, Zor-El reminded him of Snape, which was not a good thing. Harry did not have that much time to think about this for a sudden burst of inspiration hit his mind.

"It's time that I meet the Council face to face," Harry responded when he looked at the trio of blondes and Jor-El.

"And what will this accomplish?" Lara asked when she looked at Harry.

"I'm hoping to give them a well-reasoned reason why they should leave this alone," Harry stated when he shrugged his shoulders, before he wondered if he was hoping for a bit too much. "At least...at least when I go in there, I'll handle them better than I handed the government in my world."

"So your government was behind the curve as well," Alura stated with interest. "And utterly frustrating."

Harry gave a slight smirk before he responded. "You have no idea, but that's essentially it."

He stood at the edge of the windows facing the outside of the In-Ze estate and he would have to stick his head into the mouth of the lion to get what he wanted. That was something that this wizard did many times before. And it was not like he was going in there without a plan.

"If you go, I'm coming with you," Kara responded when she firmly stood beside Harry, and her gaze left no room for argument.

"And I will as well, for I have a few words for the Council," Jor-El stated in a crisp and determined voice, after the Council tried to seize some of his inventions, he meant to speak to them as well.

"If you insist," Harry responded when he rolled his shoulders in a slight shrug. He was not about to argue. There was one more piece of business that he had to do before he left. "I'm putting protective enchantments around this place. I'm not sure how long they will hold but they should hold long enough before we got back."

"Be careful out there," Alura stated and Harry and Kara smiled.

"Don't worry, we will," Kara responded, before the trio moved off, leaving Alura and Lara alone.

X-X-X

Some people would see adversity, but Zor-El saw something else and that was opportunity. The opportunity that he would step forward and seize the keys to this world and prove his worth beyond that of his brother. He was set back in a minor manner but he had it in his hands. He managed to visit Alura's mentor, who had some basic information on her technology. Money talked and it got the technology into the hands of one that would use it properly.

Zor-El stepped underneath the yellow solar lamps that bombarded him with enough energy that would give him powers steadily for twelve hours, which would be long enough for him to test them out. He jabbed a fist forward towards a huge block and shattered it into dust with one super powerful punch.

He set up the area around his lab where if he was not fast enough, he would die a painful death. He closed his eyes and sped through the traps, ducking and dodging around each individual attack. He reached the end of the lab, casually blocking them, before his head turned around and he nodded carefully.

His eyes squinted, before he focused a heavy blast of heat vision and burned his family crest into the wall. The smoldering sensation could be seen when he smelled the freshly burned symbol. He turned his head around, before his head inclined himself.

"Excellent," Zor-El responded, his grin twisted around, when he tried to jump into the air and fly.

He crashed down to the ground and grimaced, angered that he could not do so. That was the one thing that Alura was unable to do, figure out how to fly and now Zor-El also failed to replicate that very essential power. He pushed himself back and tried to speed against the wall but he halted to a stop and used his X-Ray vision.

That was a useful power; he could see his enemies even if they were concealed. Along with the super hearing, that would make him practically invincible. He could hardly wait to test out the powers in a more practical and worthwhile manner, his grin twisted into a malicious tone when he turned his head around. Everything was going according to a certain level of plans and he arched his head forward, before he thought what he needed to do.

The power went to his head but it was in his hands. Zor-El thought he would be destined to be the lesser of the two brothers, his father stated that much. Of course, now with these powers, his father would have to concede that Zor-El was superior to Jor-El in every way. He looked up and figured that if he could find a way to make these powers more permanent, than he would be able to fly higher than them all. Some kind of body armor would be the most prudent tactic that would filter the yellow solar radiation and would allow him to get what he needed to get done, completed.

He knew of these two companions of Alura's, this mysterious blonde and her dark haired companion, they would need to get killed, that much was for certain. He knew that they had powers of some sort, and they were not given by this technology. Zor-El hated when things did not go his way and he would have his way pretty soon.

Now he prepared to set out, his spies at the Council indicated that Jor-El was on his way, along with his two targets. This was a situation that was too good to be true. He would prove to the Council that he replicated the technology and then he would take out these two problems. And if these two problems had a little accident, then that would be just as well. Then he would offer his heartfelt condolences Alura about her loss, and move on in when she needed someone the most.

It was a plan that he was foolproof and one that he would be able to enact on his own, at his own time. There was no question about it, every single bit of his plan was beginning to fall into some kind of place.

_X-X-X_

_"_ I know you think that you're doing right, but mark my words, what you are doing will tear this entire planet apart. I don't think you've figured out the gravity of trying to use this technology for a weapon of war."

Harry said his piece to the council but he figured that like with many governments on his planet, talking them to would be an exercise of both frustration and fury. It seemed that was one thing that varied little the universe over. Those in charge tended to be the biggest idiots and as a result, Harry wished to throw his hands in the air and scream in fury.

"We have considered your statements and have convened on it," one of the council representatives stated, he was a hovering blue head. Which Harry thought was appropriate, given that government officials tended to be talking heads more often than not. "Whilst we understand and addressed your concerns, much like the concerns of Jor-El as well, we believe that there is no issue."

"No issue?" Jor-El asked when he turned to the council, once again he was reminded why he did not like speaking to this government body. "I think that there are many issues, starting with the fact that you are ignoring a very pressing issue. The fact is that in addition to this technology, our planet is dying."

"Again Jor-El?"

The Council heard this song and dance from Jor-El a few times before in recent years and while it was true that it was a minor issue made major the first time, this time it was far more dangerous. The actions of Black Zero over the past number of years and their rise caused everything to become unstable. The members of the court waited for Jor-El to back up his findings with proof but this time, they were surprised that he did, throwing the papers down on the table.

"You will see the scans I have made, the unstable actions on the core and the number of natural disasters that have sped up over the past decade," Jor-El responded when he held the papers, his own copy.

"And it will only get worse, the planet is being broken apart," Kara stated when she eyed them. "The technology that you want to use for war should be utilized to heal the planet. That is the purpose, help our people, not hurt our enemies. Alura's dream must not be compromised."

Kara thought that statement would have gotten through the Council members, had they actually cared to consider anything beyond their own body of work. The blonde bit her lip nervously when she put her arms together, and watched them, all of them. They whispered in mutterings.

"Your opinions are noted but the Council has decided that Alura should hand over the technology and work with us to make it work," the council representatives. "All of her crimes will be forgiven."

"And by crimes, you mean defending herself against you attacks don't you?" Harry asked, he was not going to let this one go without a fight.

"Yeah, how is it a crime when she only fights what he believed in?" Kara demanded when her eyes flickered in danger and she was half tempted to boil them all.

"Enough, we have spoken, the Council will bring you as well for your crimes of treason."

Harry thought that they had a pretty loose interpretation of treason and what it was. They refused to listen to any reasoning, even if it was smacking them in the face. He turned around to them.

"Did you not read the proof?" Jor-El asked, when his eyes stared down the Council.

"We will consider your proof but our own studies will need to be done," the Council Representative stated.

Jor-El inclined his head, when his arms folded across his chest, and he thought about this. He knew what they meant; they meant that their studies would be done when they would get around to it. Then they would hem and haw, before they decided that the proof they had was inconclusive. He understood a lot of everything that was happening and he turned his head around, crossing his arms, before his head bowed, a sardonic expression crossing his face.

"Do you not..."

There was a blur that arrived at super speed before them. Zor-El stopped and faced them.

"I managed to crack Alura's technology and I wish to serve the Council," Zor-El stated when he bowed down a little bit before he faced them all.

"Zor-El this is a pleasant surprise but how do we know you tell the truth?" the council stated but he used his heat vision to light the candles on the wall. He then blew them out with his super breath, before he struck a pose.

"Seeing is in fact believing, dear council," Zor-El responded when he tapped his feet on the wall and Harry and Kara both had a feeling of dread. "And I will help you bring in those interlopers and Jor-El. Alura, naturally was lead down a road where she was brainwashed by these two. Wherever they come from, they might look like Kryptonians but I believe that they are invading aliens."

 _'You miserable lying...'_ Kara though to herself before she mentally trailed off, grumbling, it was no use to do anything. The blonde found herself backed into a corner and she sighed heavily.

Zor-El rushed forward and aimed a punch towards Kara that would have knocked her head off. She had the reflexes to duck the attack, before she pushed herself up into the air and knocked Zor-El backwards to the ground. He crashed face first onto the ground, landing with a solid thud and he turned around, blood splashing from his nose when he coughed.

"You won't take us down that easily," Kara stated but the guards moved in, this time heavily armored.

Zor-El looked up, before he bounced his heat vision off a crystal structure, sending them down, trying to take out Kara, Jor-El, and Harry. Jor-El got the worst of it, with Kara and Harry getting out of the way.

Harry dove at Zor-El, flying at him, before he flew him out the window, with his hands wrapped around the Kryptonians throat. The two flew from the Council meeting place, over Kandor, with their hands wrapped around each other's throat.

**To Be Continued in the Next Chapter.**


	10. The Sun Sets

**Chapter Nine: The Sun Sets.**

Harry gritted his teeth when he circled his enemy, the father of his girlfriend. It was funny how things worked on in this way but it was ultimately true. Zor-El dove at the dark haired wizard with a fury but he dodged the attacks. The young wizard was not about to let him get the better of him. He sent a blasting spell from his hand but Zor-El dodged it, with faster reflects than Harry ever expected.

"Well, it seems like you have some intelligence," Harry grudgingly admitted before he added with a smirk across his face. "It's too bad that doesn't really prevent you from trying to take me on. I wonder what are you thinking? Do you really think that it's a good idea to take me on, even with your powers?"

"I'm going to prove to the Council the might of this technology and how it can be improved on for the betterment of Krypton," Zor-El stated when he blasted forward like a cork but Kara dove forward and nailed him in the face with a huge kick to send him flying backwards. She tried to subdue him but he was dodged, incensed that this little brat tried to strike him.

Zor-El would show him that his way was might and he would start by snapping her neck, before going to finish off the other one. He was beyond reason or sanity, when he edged closer and closer.

He flew forward and wrapped his hands around her throat, before trying to squeeze the life out of her. Kara struggled against her father's grip, even though she did not know at the time. The blonde struggled against her and she swayed her head back, spitting and gagging a little bit, when the young blonde struggled.

"Keep your filthy hands off of her!" Harry yelled when he flew forward and a blasting spell impacted him in the chest. The yellow sun healed much but Zor-El found out one thing and it was found out painfully, within the next few moments.

Magic was something that even the most super powered of Kryptonians were vulnerable too. Then again, other magic users were vulnerable to magic as well, so it was just as well, but he found himself slammed against the wall and then Kara dove behind him, before she kicked him in the back of the head, sending him down to the ground, and flying backwards, with a thud.

Zor-El gave an angry grimace; he was not going to be made a fool out of it. His powers replenished when they filtered but a bright blue light struck him in the chest causing him to feel a bit more weakened. His powers left him but not completely, even if the rampages of his injuries came upon him.

The simulated blue Kryptonite did not work as well as Harry believed it to, which was a shame all things considered. Whatever Zor-El did to increase the effectiveness of the technology it worked well but there were many faults that he could exploit at the right moment. Kara bit down on her lip and eyed Harry. The two locked eyes and they thought one thing, when they turned to face Zor-El, their hands locked and their fists spinning for the attack.

' _Together.'_

Two minds worked as one and two bodies worked on conjunction, when they blasted at Zor-El like a cork, before slamming him down onto the ground. He landed with a huge crack, rolling over and blood splattering from his mouth. The younger brother of Jor-El got up, not used to this mortality, especially once he tasted immorality so soon. It was a harsh existence to even reconcile.

No he must press on, this power was something he deserved, this power was his destiny. It was something that he was put on Krypton to experience and he would experience the full fruits of it.

He reached forward and ripped the support beams from the bridge, before he swung it towards Harry and Kara, but both dodged the attacks.

"He's gone mad with power!" Kara yelled towards Harry, trying to focus her super breath but Zor-El focused his super breath and the two connected with their breath, canceling each other out when they blew against each other.

Harry quickly used his powers to prevent the structure from falling on a helpless group of Kandorians. They were unable to comprehend what was happening; they were standing there, unaware from the power struggle. He used a careful repairing charm to heal the damage Zor-El caused and the group cheered at Harry's actions.

Zor-El gave a grimace, but Kara punched him in the back of the head with all the force the blonde could muster. She grabbed him around the waist, and speared him down onto the ground. The two landed with a huge crack but Zor-El was quick to rebound as he grabbed Kara by her hair and threw her down onto the ground. He picked up a piece of pipe and bent it underneath her chin, trying to choke her with his super strength.

' _What kind of man tries to kill his own daughter?'_ Harry thought, even if it was unknowing, Zor-El strangled Kara out of temper before, she told him. The House of El was quite messed up, thankfully Kara got something from her mother's side of the family by some kind of miracle.

Harry knocked Zor-El down from behind, his limbs cracking together when he went down to the ground. The backs of his legs shattered from the impact and with another fluid motion, Harry helped Kara up, holding her against him. The blonde wrapped her arms around Harry's neck and caught her breath in no time.

He would ask if she was already but the question seemed to be a bit obvious. The damage was being healed nicely although she was fairly shaken despite everything. Harry and Kara locked hands and pushed themselves forward, ready for the fight and ready to take him down completely.

A loud crack echoed and Zor-El went flying and he realized something. His super powers, they were completely gone, and that meant he was mortal. The process he stolen, it was flawed; Alura was not trying to cover herself, there was some fine tuning that needed to be done. He flew head over heels, flying and he landed with a huge crack against the tower. His head whipped back, and his eyes nearly rolled into the back of the head, before he slid down.

He left a blood smear on it and Kara heard no heartbeat. The blood of Zor-El oozed out of the gaping wound of his chest, spraying everywhere. His lust for power got in the way of any sense and reason and he paid for it with his life.

' _I just killed my own father,'_ Kara thought when Harry put her arm around her to comfort her when her eyes widened. It took her a moment to come to terms with this, although the initial shock stayed with her. Well that proved the alternate timeline thing, given that she could disappear into nothingness otherwise, yet Kara remained there with Harry.

That was something that made her feel rather at ease, a little bit more. The blonde blinked a little bit, before she followed Harry. She was not sure about how she felt about this but her father, well the rose colored glasses that she previously viewed him through had been shattered once and for all. She could not believe this, she really could not believe this. The two returned to the Council.

Jor-El waited and Harry and Kara had to give him the news that no one would like to hear but it was best they said it now.

"Zor-El is dead."

Jor-El inclined his head, a bit of remorse flooding his face; he could not help but blame himself for what happened. His brother's greed got the better of him in the end and he paid for it quite fatally. Jor-El decided to use this as evidence to the Council for the fact that they were not ready for the technology for it would corrupt the hearts and minds of the people of Krypton.

"I hope you see the folly of trying to use this technology for war," Jor-El stated when he crossed his arms, before his arms carefully.

The Council offered some crisp mutterings but something told Harry that this was not the end of it. Even though Jor-El warned them, even though Alura warned them, and even though Zor-El died because it, something told Harry it was not a cut and dry situation. They would rationalize what happened as only politicians could.

"We feel that the flaw is not within the people of Krypton but with Zor-El himself," the council member stated in a crisp voice when they eyed Harry, Kara, and Jor-El. "We recommend that all technology is reviewed for the council. These two prove that it can be used to make them strong and allow them to stand tall over the rest to protect those who cannot protect themselves."

Harry could have gritted his teeth and screamed to the heavens, they rationalized this. It was hard to believe but they rationalized this. They refused to admit that no matter what, they could not be wrong. It was inconceivable that the all powerful Council could in fact be wrong and Kara stood next to them.

"Tell Alura that she has seventy two hours to willingly comply," the council stated. "Or we will force compliance."

That sounded like a threat to Harry and to Kara, who had a nasty expression flash through her eyes. She would tear the Council apart bit by bit if she was allowed to but Harry pulled her back. His warning gaze said now was not the time.

* * *

"Zor-El's demise should be the proof needed that the people at large of Krypton are not ready for this technology," Alura responded when she bit down on her lips. The next question was offered an extremely exasperated manner. "Can't they see that?"

"They always see what they wish to see, "Lara responded when she turned her head to the side. "That is the common folly of any race and that is what may be inevitable for our planet's demise and destruction."

Lara did not want to think about such things but alas they were thoughts that were inevitable. Especially given that everything that occurred in recent times, she crossed her arms. She would not pretend to know all that much about science, especially compared to Alura or Jor-El but she knew enough to figure out how everything was gone.

"I'm not sure if the planet degrading is the real problem, it's the people, our people, that are degrading," Alura stated when she saw the red sun set once again. She had two more sunsets before she made a choice, and a sadistic one.

What should she do, should she try and appease the Council, but at the same time compromising all of her principles? Those principles were something that that she held onto for better or for worse. She watched as Zor-El perverted her technology and they he proceeded to try and kill Harry and Kara.

The other option was to defy the Council and they would attempt to seize her technology anyway. They were not the type that would give up without a fight and their stubbornness knew no bounds whatsoever, the blonde turned her head around and blinked heavily, waiting for a little bit.

"So what to do, what to do?" Alura mused when she bit down on her lip but Harry and Kara stood forward.

"The right thing," Kara offered her mother with a smile, and a hopeful expression on her face. "I didn't….I didn't really want to do what I did out there, it was one of those things where…..I don't think it would have ended up that well. But at the same time, we have to make the hard choices."

Harry chimed in, he thought of everything that he learned in there. "Choice, that is would drives us. This choice that is made, it will define the legacy we left behind. Should we allow Krypton to become a planet that is crushed under the arrogance of their people? Beyond the Council, I see people who are normal, who are unable to fully understand what the arrogance of the Council will lead to."

The dark haired wizard paused before he added, carefully choosing his next words.

"I see potential."

"As do I," Kara agreed when she tightened her grip on Harry. That was why she wanted to do everything she could to save this world, even though in the back of her mind, she wondered if some things were inevitable. If they averted the first crisis, what is to say that some crisis could not happen ten or fifteen years down the line.

That was the problem with something like Krypton, Kara hoped in her heart that they could save it but there were many indications that this planet ticked on by like a deadly doomsday clock. She clutched Harry's hand, to appease herself.

"That potential is the reason why we must do all that we can to save this world, or at least enough of the people on it where it might make a difference," Lara answered when she turned around. The world at large was a bit drearier than she thought, beyond that little niche that her father carved out for her.

"It's not like we could take Krypton's cities, shrink them down, and put them in a bottle," Alura stated but then she looked at Harry and Kara.

"That's not the worst idea, but it might lead to more headaches," Kara stated when she thought about it carefully, mulling it over. "We're going to have to really think this one over."

Sometimes the best action was something that did not come to them. The message of the council, it rang out in Harry's head. It was twisted and tormented; they had given ultimatums and threats. He was certain that if they worked with Alura, instead of against her, then they could find out a way to make this all work. However, that was not the way the Council worked. They had to always do things the hard way. At least that was something that was a constant about all of the governments around the world.

There were sometimes where they had to do things for the good of everyone out there, not just for themselves. Of course, the Council twisted the thoughts of what was good for everyone and did what was good for themselves. Harry thought that they had the best intentions in mind but like most governments did, they lost their way. And when that way was lost, they struggled to take control of everything out of their own little comfort zones. All faith that people might have in their government would be lost if they understood what the Council's bumbling would have caused but Harry hoped that it would be temporary at best.

"So what do you think now?" Harry asked Kara, asking for her input.

Before Kara could answer, Jor-El arrived, looking at them with a frantic expression in his eyes. Harry and Kara spun towards the scientist, awaiting what he had to say now. There was a heart beating that they sensed and they could tell that Jor-El was rather stressed. The science, one of the most foremost minds on all of Krypton had something to say. Alura and Lara remained quiet before he was allowed to say it.

"Zod has managed to get his hands on one of the crystals and he's using it to enhance his powers."

Kara and Harry spun around, their eyes widened. There was one thing for certain and that was when it rained, it poured. The two of them rushed off, to try and deal with the current crisis that Zod manufactured. It seemed like their work was never done.

"Those crystals are highly unstable," Alura warned them before they headed completely out the door. "If Zod doesn't have them calibrated properly…."

"We need not worry about the core," Kara stated when she breathed heavily.

"That figures," Harry responded when he tightened his grip around his hand, before the couple turned off, Zor-El was only the beginning, Zod's little gambit was the next thing on their list. They hoped that they could reach him in time, before he did something that would doom the entire planet.

* * *

Zod smiled, his moment of triumph edged closer with more ticks of the clock. He thought about of a way to make a name for himself, and this was the best way to make a name for himself. He never was so embarrassed in his life than he was today. That blonde woman, she punched him hard in the jaw and could have shattered every bone in his head. He grimaced at the thought, and crossed his arms with a scowl crossing his being. That would not be something that he had any desire to repeat ever again.

Thankfully, he did some nosing around and picked up one of the crystals that Alura used for her demonstration. Being a man of many connections, he got it working again and he felt his body empowered by the yellow solar radiation. The yellow solar radiation boosted his abilities to something beyond anything that he could ever imagine. He curled his fists in the very thought about it, and how he could crush anyone in his path.

He would be unstable and that really made him smile.

Two whooshes could be heard and Zod turned, narrowing his eyes at them.

"I hoped you showed up," Zod remarked when he watched Harry and Kara, a nasty expression filling his face. "I see Zor-El could not handle these powers and you took care of it. It is just as well, he did not deserve the extraordinary abilities that were offered by the yellow sun."

Kara retorted back in an angry voice, her eyes glowing threateningly. "And you think you do."

Zod smiled. "Naturally, I do. These powers are my birthright. And you will all kneel before Zod!"

"What is with you and kneeling?" Harry asked in annoyance before he sent a spell at Zod, but the armor he wore, it caused his attacks to bounce back. The green eyed wizard stopped. He saw that there was no reason to continue the attacks when he blocked them all for the time being.

"I'd imagined that you didn't expect that," Zod responded when he eyed Harry, the two staring each other down.

"Bravo, you surprised me, but that won't be for long," Harry stated, when he caused the ground to rumble beneath Zod.

Zod flew into the air and Harry and Kara followed him. Unlike Zor-El, Zod had a better control over his abilities, perhaps because it was not faulty. If Harry could disrupt the armor, he could bombard him with the Blue Kryptonite radiation. The two followed Zod, hoping to take him down. Harry and Kara locked eyes and they knew what they had to do.

Kara went on one side of Zod in their attempt to box him inside their attacks. Harry edged to the other side of Zod. The two circled him, but to his credit, Zod managed to keep his eyes on both of his enemies. It was now that Harry suspected that the instincts that made him one of the most feared military commanders in all of Krypton was at hand. He really was pretty good at what he did and intensity glowed in his eyes. He sent fire from his eyes, but Harry and Kara blasted their combined heat vision, before their combined attacks pushed back into his face, sending him spiraling backwards.

Zod scattered, breathing heavily when he flew head over heels, nearly landing on the ground with a crash. Harry and Kara flew like a double blur but Zod caught their hands. Harry sliced at the armor with that distraction and caused the General to stagger a little bit. The blonde slid underneath the blonde, before kicking his leg out from underneath him. Harry sent Zod flying into a fence, before throwing them hard into the ground. Kara flew over, and grabbed the fence.

With an intense tug, she ripped the fence out and started to wrap it around Zod. The fence trapped him in a cage, and Kara unleashed her heat vision to Zod. The metal heated up around him to try and pin him into place. The General tried to push himself out and he knocked Harry and Kara back with a double punch to the face. Thanks to their recuperative abilities, they bounced back and launched themselves like a pair of corks into the air, before they slapped their elbows onto Zod.

In the ultimate step of irony, Zod had been driven to his knees. It was not something that he experienced for long; he bounced back up, primal fury flicking in his eyes. He was angered at about being humiliated and the power went to his head. The anger made him sloppy and the two who fought him looked carefully towards him. They knew he was just about gotten to, all they had to do was push him forward. Kara smacked him in the side of the head.

Zod staggered back and he saw the crystal in his hand, he tried to focus more of the solar radiation onto him but Kara snatched it out of his hand.

"No!" Zod stated, trying to choke her but Harry knocked him out, before he whipped him backwards and caused the General to crash onto the ground.

Zod was losing control and that was not something that he liked. His face contorted into a snarl, before his fists clenched, he would show them, he would show them all. He would show both of them, he sprung forward, his legs dragging behind him, when he cracked into his enemies.

Down went his enemies, slamming hard against the ground. Harry and Kara bounced back up but suddenly, they saw a weak spot in him. The armor had been cracked and Zod's flesh had been exposed. That gave Harry and Kara an idea when they continued to work as one. A tandem attack would be what would break through the armor and pierce Zod's flesh. There was no question about it, before they blasted it through.

Zod did not even offer a final cutting word, before the cutting curse burned through him. The remaining yellow solar radiation healed his wounds but that allowed Harry and Kara to both scoop up Zod and pick up speed. The two of them flew at the speed of light and continued to fly, picking up speed when they became nothing but a blur. They shot through the air, like a cork and hoisted up Zod.

It was a slam dunk when Zod speared on a tower, he was impaled on it.

"Well, I think he wanted a place of honor, no more honor than that of the highest point in Kandor," Kara responded before she threw her arms around Harry and rocked back a little bit. "So are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Harry responded when he spun her around, wrapping his arms around her before the two of them rested in each other's arms. Now that Zod was finished and they flew up to check to make sure they should, they relaxed, at least a little bit.

Harry and Kara leaned forward, wrapping their arms around each other, and sharing a passionate kiss when they hovered over Kandor. Their hair blew in the breeze and they realized that somehow one of the biggest threats to Krypton and perhaps one of the reasons why it got destroyed was gone.

Of course, they threw them into the unknown now but that was something that these two thrived on above all else. They had to hover down and try and appeal to the Council one more time. Whilst the efforts seemed futile, they had to do things their own way.

* * *

Harry relaxed with Kara, she rested against him. The blonde put her head on Harry's chest, before putting his arm around her waist when the two of them rocked back and forth on the couch. The blonde waited with a bright smile crossing her face, even if it was pained. She wore a white top and a pair of jean shorts with no shoes. It was normal Earth clothes, but they were better compared with the stuffy robes that the Kryptonians wore on a day to day basis.

"It's now or never," Harry remarked when he ran his hands through Kara's silky blonde hair. She spun around, so she could straddle his lap. "You're beautiful."

"Thanks, you're not too bad on the eyes yourself," Kara responded, when Harry dipped her back, and kissed her on the lips, placing his hands firmly on the small of her back, running his hands down her hips and her back, before he continued to kiss her. His kisses increased with intensity and he rubbed his hands over her back, before he continued the kiss.

The two of them would have enjoyed their activities more and more but Alura burst through the doors, in a frantic tizzy.

"Hey, Alura, want to join us?" Kara asked in an innocent voice, but Alura dropped down, to give them some grave news.

"One more appeal to the Council, not that it did any good," Alura responded when she threw her head back and sighed. "After what happened with both Zor-El and Zod, they should understand how dangerous this technology is."

"But they understand nothing," Kara chimed in, feeling her frustration and looking into her identical blue eyes, the two of them carefully watching each other, before she slid off of Harry's lap and offered her a hug. Alura took it, glad at the gesture, she was beyond stressed, in fact she was completely and utterly fried.

"It's….I don't know, I don't want to think about it, but it's getting worse and it will continue to get worse," Alura remarked when Kara pulled her into the hug, before she released it. "I know, you two are visiting here and I wouldn't blame you if you left after all that you've been through."

Kara shook her head carefully. She thought that this would be a common statement and her mother wanted to make sure they did not suffer any more because of the Council. She could see it in Alura's eyes and whilst Kara appreciated the sentiment, she would not be strong armed by people who wanted to see her suffer. She reached forward and gently, but at the same time firmly, grasped her hand.

"We're in this together, for better or for worse," Kara remarked when she eyed her. "Appeal after appeal has been given to the Council but they understand nothing. And if they don't understand anything, then that means….that means that this planet would die."

Kara was damned if she'd go through the death of her world ever again. That was not something that she would handle, no way, no how. She bit down on her lip and vowed to do what she could to make sure everything worked out for the best.

"We will get out of this together," Kara stated and it was then that Harry stood up.

It was the easiest thing in the world to sit back and do nothing, while everyone rolled over them like some kind of steamroller. The green eyes of Harry flickered with a thought and he wondered, oh boy did he wonder if he should have left well enough alone a long time ago. Yet for some reason, he couldn't. He felt defiance and he felt something akin to daring flicker through his eyes, beating through his heart and his mind.

"I'm ready to go against them, to defy them one more time if you two are," Harry answered and Alura and Kara remained in stunned silence. "Whatever the Council can do, the consequences can be ours to bear but if we save the planet from certain doom, they run the risk of them making us into some kind of martyrs."

"And that would be the last thing they want," Alura answered when she bit down on her lip. "The probe, it's completed….but it could end up doing more harm than good in the long wrong. What if we delay what is inevitable? I don't want to see this world die, but….I don't want to be the one who is responsible for bringing it down as well."

Harry nodded, that was a brutal cross to bear, but he hoped that everything would work out in a certain respect. He turned from Alura to Kara, and both of their faces were determined, although in different ways. There were small and subtle differences between the pair of them but they all looked to be the same in many ways. Kara might have been Alura and Zor-El's daughter, albeit one of an alternate timeline, but it was obvious she took after her mother most of all.

"So are we in or are we out?" Harry asked the two blondes before them. Lara went home to her family estate; her father paged her, so she was not with them, but Harry, Kara, and Alura were still there and they were still determined.

Alura nodded, her jaw was set firmly, when she walked over, to the cabinet that contained the probe, the lifeline that would allow her to deliver all of Krypton far harm. She had no idea why Harry and Kara both believed that Krypton would be destroyed, but it did match up with several scientific beliefs that happened over time. She smiled, a grin crossing her face. She eyed Harry and then she eyed Kara.

Kara thought about it carefully, the planet was set to explode in over twenty years but she could perhaps delay that. Perhaps they could convince the Kryptonians to find another way and now with Zod destroyed, the coup which caused all of the portals to be destroyed never came to pass.

The trio stood, locked, loaded, and ready, it was now or never.

**To Be Concluded in the Final Chapter.**


	11. A Better Tommorrow

**Chapter Ten "A Better Tomorrow."**

A frown crossed Alura's face, this was the day where for her, it was do or die for her with this meeting. She wondered what her legacy would be when she was gone and dead. Would she even be remembered? That was an obsession for her in a way, but many Kryptonians were not forthright, they did not think past tomorrow, rather they only thought of today because why think of tomorrow? They thought that Krypton was going to last for hundreds of years, or a thousand year when they thought about that.

"It's going to work, it has to work."

Kara paused when she stated the other part of the statement before Harry could. "And if it doesn't, well we're going to….well we're not going to have a good day."

Harry and Kara held hands together, separately they were pretty strong and their determination was without peril. But together, they were a force that had to be reckoned with, and Harry and Kara spun around, watching every little moment that Alura did. She climbed down the cavern; they were shielded from the radiation.

He hoped for the best, but the worst was something that was extremely likely to take place. The blonde standing next to him bit nervously down upon her lip, she did look rather cute when she did that. Then again Harry thought that Kara looked rather cute when she did anything. It was impossible to be anything but the beauty that stood beside him. The pair shifted against each other when they continued to walk down the cavern.

"This is the most likely spot to plant the probe," Alura stated when she calculated everything in the back of her head. She spun around, before putting her hands on her hips. She blew her hair from in front of her face, before she reached behind the head and tied it back. "If we crack the core here, the radiation will only infect the dead zone."

Kara supplied the answer to Harry in a whispered undertone. "Parts of Krypton that is not habitable for any long term life. They've been most infected by the core and that's likely where most of the Kryptonite is."

Harry waited and watched, there were a few moments where they carefully watched what was happening. The young wizard carefully kept his eyes on the prize and his eyes on what Alura was doing. The clock ticked down several seconds when they were down here. Kara used her heat vision to help cut some of the core away.

So far so good, the shields held themselves up and allowed them to be down here. This radiation would infect people without any shields within minutes. Alura remotely controlled the probe; thankfully they could do this at night thanks to the modifications that were made. Otherwise the Council might interfere but now they had no idea what was being done. The blonde bit down on her lip before she shifted her arms and her legs and spun around, nervously biting down on her lip with sweat rolling down her face.

' _Easy does it, Alura, one wrong move and….'_

It was one wrong move that likely might happen before she placed the probe in the core. It rattled, another tremor, if it shifted a bit more, the cavern could collapse on them and crush them all. She felt rather vulnerable given that there was this simple fact that she did not have any super powers. Sure her magic would be able to sustain her for a little bit but only for a little bit. Otherwise the cavern would collapse down on her and crush them all.

That was not something that she wanted to think about and she watched it cut into the hole, before the mirror reflected the red sun from the other side of the planet. The light amplified into the hole before flooding it with the light. The yellow tinted solar radiation, combined with the magic caused everything to slowly heal over.

The radiation was interesting in the sense that the sun tended to amplify the gifts within Kryptonians but it also made them more susceptible to the twisted core of the planet. The young scientist bit down on her tongue, gauging the readings that popped up. So far it was so good, at the very least it was not going to cause an explosion. She would hate to be the one who was responsible for blowing up the planet in her attempts to save it. That scared her a little bit but Alura kept calm. Losing her mind would do her no good whatsoever.

Her eyes fixed on the planet's core when more sunlight flooded into it, she was getting closer and closer to a point where she could really heal the planet and make sure nothing like that happened again. The scientist stood by them, with Kara adjusting the mirror ever so slightly at her signal. This allowed more sunlight to pour in and more sunlight to fix the core of the planet. She blinked carefully, her readings were dropping.

"That is one thing, one in a million is it not?" Kara asked when she rolled her shoulders, but Harry gripped her hand tightly.

"Yeah, that is one thing," Alura responded in an absent minded voice when she carefully turned her head around and bit down on her lip when everything settled down, the core continued to rock and shift before it settled. "The actual people of this planet, they'll need enlightenment, they'll need something that will…"

Harry shook his head, cutting her off before a smile crossed his face and he responded as only he could. "One step at a time, one step at a time."

"Quite," she stated, knowing what happened with the Council and what was to come. Her experiences of sorrow, well in many ways they were beginning and the blonde shifted herself, feeling the knots that twisted in her stomach rather prominently. "Let's see what we can do."

Alura swayed herself nervously on her feet, she watched, everything could come crashing down before her very eyes if she was not careful. The core being stabilized was one thing but how stable could the center of a planet be when the people on it were not stable? The blonde watched carefully, when she saw her equipment.

"Radiation readings are dropping down to a safe level, or at least stable for another hundred or so years, pending any further tampering," Alura said to her two companions before she turned around towards them. The blonde carefully kept her eyes on small but non noticeable crack.

"I think we did it," Harry responded when he carefully smiled and Kara looked back at him, a grin tugging at her lips.

"Was there any doubt whatsoever?"

"Perhaps a little," Harry responded with a smile, when he pulled her into his tight embrace. It was that lovely afterglow of a job well done that carefully held them together.

* * *

"The Council has been mistaken in the past and it was one of those times."

Harry smiled, a government actually admitted that they might have made an error. Especially one that was stubborn as the Kryptonian government, perhaps there was some amount of hope that could be offered for this world yet. Then again, he would have to wait and see what happened next. The dark haired wizard threw his head back, his hair going in his eyes.

"We assumed that the solar technology could be used to help empower us in the upcoming war, but the words of Jor-El and Alura proved to be true," the Council responded when they looked at her. "We are here to ask you to destroy all of the technology and all blue prints of technology."

Alura smiled up at them, before she nodded her head. "You shall consider that to be done."

The blueprints were in her head, she had a pretty good photographic memory. So having the blueprints destroyed would not really bother her that much at all. She could really rebuild elsewhere but perhaps she should wait a few years. Of course, as long as she was on this planet, there was a chance she would be hunted down by every whacko on the planet.

For once, she could not be sarcastic when she thought that the Council was the one that have infinite wisdom. They were actually thinking with some kind of foresight and that amazed her. It was an entirely new experience for Alura. Perhaps there was some kind of hope for the Council and the type of things that they promoted. At least that's what she hoped that were.

"We feel that it would be unwise for you to remain on this planet, although it would also be unwise for your talents to go without use for the good of all Krypton."

A smile spread across Alura's face, of course this was the case. Of course she could still have some kind of use. A part of her wondered if they were trying to figure out how to make up for what happened. The Zor-El incident and the Zod incident were fresh in her minds. All Alura wanted to do was make a difference but everything went entirely wrong.

"All I wish to do is make a difference," she voiced, hoping to convey to the Council what she had on her mind. Of course making a difference could be something that was not going to be that easy, given that everyone was stuck in those same habits.

The mutterings of the Council commenced, it was always like this when they hoped to come sort of any kind of resolution. Harry and Kara exchanged a tense glare; the couple hoped that the Council knew what they were doing. The pair carefully watched each other and stood on their toes, edging forward a little bit, before they cleared their throats with a cough.

"If we may make a suggestion," Kara answered when she watched them and the eyes turned towards her. Not many had been brave enough to speak to the Council when they were considering a resolution which made them gain some form of respect towards Kara. The blonde focused on them, a smile crossing her face. She was certain that she got their attention and now they could progress forward a little bit. "I think that Alura should be given a chance to explore other parts of the galaxy, to enhance the knowledge of Krypton for the good of the people."

Harry caught on and decided to follow his girlfriend's lead. "How could make this world a better place if we allow ourselves to be isolated from the rest of the world at large? Truly if Krypton is the best, then they would remain vigilante to ensure that no other part of the universe passes by. If they really wish to last for a thousand years, or a million years, or any amount of time, they will always be ready to grow."

Alura also caught on and she added. "I would be willing to offer my services to Krypton as an ambassador to help bridge the fractured relations that we have with our neighbor planets. Otherwise are lives will be cold, barren, and without meaning. We have a lot to learn from these worlds, and they have a lot to learn from us."

Kara chimed in with a few more words of her own. "Is there much of any point of living for thousands of years when we learn nothing?"

The attention of the Council was grabbed and they swallowed the bait, hook, line and sinker. Kara wondered if she achieved some kind of modern day miracle and actually pushed through towards these blowhards. It was a one in a million shot that she did but at the same time, confidence brimmed through her eyes.

' _Kara, you are amazing,'_ Harry thought to himself and put an arm around her. She actually got them to listen, despite it all.

"You all speak much wisdom."

Given Harry's experience, he almost sensed a "but" coming and braced himself for some sort of impact regarding it. But nothing came except for more words of encouragement.

"I believe that you will have much to teach the other planets in the galaxy and also much to learn from it," one of the Council members stated. "Therefore the three of you will be official envoys from the planet of Krypton. I hope that you do not make us regret this decision. And once again, you have our apologies about the misjudgment of how your technology should work."

Alura crossed her arms carefully; she did not say anything but she was thinking many things in the back of her head. The truth was that if they did not try and use her technology for their own selfish gains, then none of what happened was going to happen. Of course, she shouldered her fair share of the blame but that was a valuable lesson for all to learn.

"I accept this role but only if Harry and Kara do as well," Alura answered when she eyed them. "I can tell the two of you, you would be happier with the freedom to go as you please, to travel the universe."

"As long as it's together," Kara responded when she watched Harry.

Harry smiled at her, grabbing her hand carefully eying her, before he repeated. "As long as it's together."

The two of them nodded in agreement, they were both in this together and ready to challenge the world. That was who they were, that was what they did, and the two stood forward. This adventure might be over but this new responsibility would bring many new adventures.

* * *

Jor-El was an individual who thought a lot about the various mysteries of the universe. It was just an element that was in his genetic makeup. Science was something that he enjoyed, in various forms, he had little time for romantic endeavors. No matter what, he had this obsessive compulsion to find out every single little bit of knowledge that he could get his hands on. It was one of the traits that were prominent through many members of the House of El, even though he was equally gifted. He was given a heavy burden to shoulder and he thought about this when he stood at the edge of Zor-El's grave.

He watched the grass, barely growing over the grave, but it would be covered in a matter of days. The funeral was quiet and private. His father had gone to the temple of RAO to contemplate what had happened and Jor-El used his own lab to do so. In many ways, it was his own personal fortress of solitude, it allowed him clarity and time to think over anything and everything. It was the place where he felt at ease. The oldest brother thought of the fate of the youngest brother.

If only he had done more to reign in some of Zor-El's worst tendencies. He allowed his father to play the two brothers against each other. In hindsight, that likely messed up Zor-El in many ways and caused him to develop tendencies where he tended to get violent if he did not get what he wanted.

The good news out of this situation, was Alura, Kara, and Harry made it out there okay. Jor-El had a feeling that they were the key to many things yet to come.

The bad news is that Zor-El was six feet under the ground. They did not kill, rather he killed himself or rather his own greed did. Jor-El felt that he also killed Zor-El in his own way and their father was responsible. He wondered if that was why his father went to the temple of RAO after the service. To consider what his actions had done, his harsh and cold methods at raising his two sons.

It was a hard and bitter pill to swallow but it was one that Jor-El came to the conclusion of. He made a mental vow to not raise his son in such a way, providing that he ever had a son. There was a possibility that he might be married to his work and nothing more at this rate. In fact, he found himself rather uninterested with pursuing any intimate relations with anyone. Jor-El watched carefully over the horizon when he saw two people approach him.

"I take it all went well with the Council," Jor-El responded still focusing on his brother's grave, but not turning around to face the group.

"About as well as could be expected," Kara responded with a sigh when she stood over her father's grave. In this native universe, she would technically never come to be, but perhaps that was for the best. She did wonder how her parents got together but she suspected at this rate she will never know. She bit down on her lip nervously before she added in a small voice. "I apologize for your loss."

Jor-El said nothing more a moment.

"Zor-El was the one who should have known to leave well enough alone, but he did not despite constant warnings," Jor-El answered when he walked across the yard of the state, barely acknowledging them. It was not because of the fact that he snubbed them but rather his mind was elsewhere at this present instant. He blinked his eyes carefully and threw his head back for a slight sigh. "That was what….that was what one would expect from someone like Zor-El."

Harry knew that he had no love loss for Zor-El, given the fact he tried to kill Kara. He wondered if the fact he knew that this was his daughter, would that stop him? The fact that answer could not be given with picture perfect clarity ate Harry up on the inside. He said nothing, he did nothing, and Kara grabbed his hand gently.

"We fixed it," Kara added when she watched him.

' _I wish we could have fixed the fractured House of El,'_ Kara thought to herself when she rested her head on Harry's shoulder, when his arm snaked around her waist. _'I told Kal-El it was dysfunctional, but I must have been understating slightly.'_

Jor-El paused and looked into the sky, the red sun set over the planet and he nodded his head.

"I'm glad that it has been fixed," Jor-El responded when he closed his eyes in deep thought and contemplation. He watched the couple over his shoulder, they had their lives ahead of them. "And I have heard word of your new post. Congratulations and best of luck for it."

Harry and Kara felt that luck came with a "you're going to need it' but Jor-El did not voice those words. The two of them sensed what the other was feeling, they had for some time, almost when they exited the Phantom Zone. The pair snaked their arms together rand stood carefully next to each other. There were butterflies dangerously flapping their wings in their stomachs and causing them tension beyond anything that they could ever believe.

"So will Krypton truly live for a million years like the Council believes?"

That was a deep question that Jor-El posed and not one that either Harry or Kara wanted to be in the position to answer presently. Their hearts beat intensely against their rib cages when they waited and watched for a chance, an opportunity to answer one of the deepest questions they would ever do.

"That is down to the people of Krypton."

Kara answered that question.

"Only they can make the choices that will sustain a civilization for that long of time," Harry added carefully when he grabbed Kara's hand tightly and she nodded, smiling boldly and brightly.

"I imagined as much," Jor-El responded carefully when he spun on his heal, soon he would figure out what happened. "I must go and hope that Rao speaks favorably about my brother. Best of luck once again."

Kara watched him go. "Thanks."

She turned to Harry and the two wrapped their arms against each other, standing next to Zor-El's grave. The two hovered above the air and their lips met with a passionate kiss, carefully wrapping their arms around each other, feeling the pleasure between each other, and the two wrapped their arms around each other.

It was relaxing to be together after everything that transpired over the past week and indeed more.

Would they ever be free?

That was something that Harry and Kara gladly would find out together. They felt that as long as they were together , they could face anything. As long as the pair of them were together, they could face the world, the universe, and anything it had to offer. It was something that they always thought, naturally, but it grew stronger as they did.

They would prepare for that next adventure together, as they enjoyed the sunset standing next to each other, arms wrapped around the other. It was a beautiful day for both of them and the pair of them eagerly awaited what was to come next.

* * *

The next day was as beautiful as the evening was before. The happy couple sat on a blanket on the grass, having a picnic together. It might have seemed like a simple date, but Harry embraced that eagerly. Sometimes his life lacked certain things and simplicity was one of these things that his life lacked. He enjoyed the moments he spent with the girl of his dreams.

"I'm glad we're together," Harry responded when he eyed her, when she chewed on the sandwich that he made her and drank the juice, carefully kicking back with her shoes off her feet, wiggling the bare soles of her feet teasingly and tantalizingly at him. "I'm really glad that we're together."

Kara smiled, she thought likewise.

"Me too, I feel like we can handle anything," she responded when she laid back, her head resting on his lap. Harry began to slowly feed her grapes and she rested, chewing them carefully. It allowed them to rest back. "We make quite a team, we were meant to be together beyond everyone else."

Kara thought about how tacky that sounded but just because something sounded tacky did not prevent it from being accurate. She refused to believe that she could be happy with any other guy other than Harry. She felt his talented fingers brush through her hair, oh the things those fingers did to her and his tongue as well. But there were many other qualities about Harry that made Kara tingle inside with the utmost of joy. It caused her stomach to stir a little bit carefully.

"I'm glad we're together, really I am," Harry responded when he parted her hair a little bit and fed her another grape.

"My turn," Kara responded when she shifted and pinned Harry down, straddling his hips, not that he minded. "I think it's time for a little dessert."

She reached into the tin, prying it open, to reveal a stash of cherries and a second tin was whip cream. Harry quite liked where this one was heading and she reached over, dripping the cherries into the whip cream, before she slowly licked the cream off, before nibbling on the cherry.

She popped one into his mouth, and then slipped another one on her tongue, waggling it seductively towards him. Kara leaned down, before she popped the cherry into his mouth. He felt her shirt ride up, her breast brushed against his chest, her taunt stomach pressed against his. Her lovely legs shifted against his bare legs, she was the epitome of everything he ever wanted in a girl.

"There's something…I want to ask of you," Harry responded and Kara slid back, corking an eyebrow in curiosity when she bit down on her lip.

Kara turned around, before she watched Harry. A smile crossed her face, she wondered, she wondered. Dare she hope? Although after the close connection they felt when they were together in the Phantom Zone, and then later on Krypton over the past week or more. Although technically speaking they were in the Zone for months and months.

She turned to speak to him, a shadow of a smile crossing her face, before she batted her eyelashes towards him. "Yes, Harry, anything."

Harry decided to build this up a bit, he never treated a relationship with any girl this seriously or really felt like he connected to anyone this much. "Remember how you said you wanted to be with me forever."

"I do remember that, Harry, and I stand by that," Kara responded when she edged closer, placing her hand gently on his knee. "I love you and I don't think that anything on Krypton, Earth, or anywhere in the twenty eight galaxies will ever change that."

She smiled prettily at him, as if she was capable of smiling in any other way.

"We're connected in some way, I think, the moment we crossed paths and the connection grew stronger each second he stood together," Harry added when he carefully edged her closer. "I know it sounds silly…"

"No, there is never anything silly about true love," Kara added when she leaned forward and her lips touched his. The two felt the light hearted feeling that only love could feel.

Harry never felt the tingling sensations in his spine that he felt by just kissing Kara with any other girl. He pulled her to her and whispered in her ear.

"Marry me," Harry breathed in her ear.

"Excuse me?" Kara asked when she stepped back, not quite believing what she heard. It was too good to be true.

Harry breathed in and stated in a clear voice. "Kara Zor-El, will you do the honor of being my wife?"

Kara gasped when she threw her arms around Harry, before kissing him on the lips with full force. Their lips smashed together, and she pushed him back on the blanket that they sat on. Her legs locked around him, when their tongues met with passion. The two of them ran their hands through their hair and Harry reached underneath her shirt, which she moaned appreciatively into his mouth at. The two indulged themselves in their lips and their desire for each other.

She pulled back and a grin spread over her face.

"In case you couldn't read between the lines, that means yes," Kara responded when she licked her lips, and snuggled against his chest. He wrapped his arm tightly around her, pulling the blue eyed blonde into his body.

"I'm sure that meant yes," Harry responded when he carefully pushed her back onto the grass and the ring was on her finger, almost like magic. Mainly because it was magic.

"So if you're up for a little celebration about our engagement," Kara stated when she eyed him, undressing him with her eyes.

"I'm always up for some celebration with you, Kara," Harry responded when he draped her over his lap and pushed her down, unbuttoning her shirt and putting some privacy charms up so they were not disturbed.

* * *

The wind blew crisply outside of the In-Ze estate, Kara and Harry managed to make the necessary repairs so everything would topple over. It was not pretty, not at the slightest but somehow, someway, they made it work. The blonde stood next to Harry, carefully watching everything.

Alura walked out next to them carefully peering over her shoulder. She was impressed beyond most measures by what Harry did. The blonde bit down on her lip when she carefully watched everything and turned to them. "The two of you, you did an amazing job restoring everything."

"Coming from you that means the world," Kara stated when she eyed her mother but Alura frowned towards her.

"You know, we look so much alike, it's almost creepy," Alura remarked when she watched Kara carefully and placed a hand to her chin, cupping her face. "Are you certain that we're not related in some way?"

Kara decided to go for a version of the truth. "Well you never know if you're related to someone or not, I suppose it's possible."

"You cannot deny our resemblance is uncanny," Alura remarked when she shrugged her shoulders and Kara smiled before she turned around to face Harry with a knowing look in her eyes but she spun back around to properly face Alura.

"One truly never does know, do they?"

Kara and Harry took a moment to smile at what they knew. Perhaps they would enlighten her on this possibility some day. Although they did not know which revelation that Alura might take worse. The revelation that she had a grown daughter or the fact that she had a grown daughter with Zor-El. Perhaps it was Harry, but he had this feeling that Alura was not too fond of this man.

"So, Harry and I, once things are settled down, we're getting married," Kara informed her.

"Congratulations," Alura responded, she was happy for the two of them, really she was happy. "I'm sure the two of you will have a long and happy life."

"Well, I suspect it will be happy," Harry smiled towards her but Kara playfully elbowed him in the side. "And pretty long, not to mention full of excitement and adventure."

"I don't think either of us would have it any other way," Kara responded when she bit down on her lip, knowingly thinking about everything that transpired. The young wizard carefully watched everything with Kara and they stood, seeing the red sun rise up.

"And you did not think you were leaving without saying good bye."

Kara, Alura, and Harry spun around to see Lara standing next to them, she almost popped up or perhaps she had been there the entire time and none of them noticed.

"So, my father told me about this new job, it's amazing that you get to travel the universe," Lara responded when she ran her hands through her hair. "I doubt he'd approve that much if I went."

"Well the invitation is open, there's plenty of room in my ship," Harry responded with a knowing smile. There was a lot of room on his ship for activities of all sorts, including recreational activities. It would be a couple weeks before they left yet.

"Yeah, you're always welcome," Kara responded, she was quite fond of her aunt, although she supposed that she should give Jor-El a chance. Even if he was a bit arrogant, although may she felt that her aunt could do better ,a little bit. Along with her mother, most certainly but that was more of a long term idea in Kara's mind.

Then again, it was far be it to interfere with the natural progression of love. Although she wished that she could find them guys like Harry that would be perfect and wonderful.

"So where are you heading?" Lara asked them.

"I don't know, but I'm sure it's exciting and I'm sure we may return someday," Kara responded with a smile before Harry and Kara looked at the sun one more time. "But we aren't leaving just yet, in a couple of weeks, so plenty of time to change your mind."

Lara looked like she considered it.

Perhaps they had bought Krypton a few more years or maybe a million years like the Council proclaimed, but still they remained optimistic that the future would be bright.

**The End.**


End file.
